run afoul of

Idioms  

1. Also, run foul of. Come into conflict with, as in If you keep parking illegally you'll run afoul of the police. This expression originated in the late 1600s, when it was applied to a vessel colliding or becoming entangled with another vessel, but at the same time it was transferred to non-nautical usage. Both senses remain current.

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Example Sentences

Heavy use of electricity from diesel generators could raise concerns about the carbon emissions associated with that power in certain states or run afoul of Environmental Protection Agency rules.

From The Wall Street Journal

He had run afoul of the Federal Communications Commission’s regulations on broadcast content.

From Los Angeles Times

The Reagan had run afoul of nuclear power’s thorniest problem: radioactive isotopes.

From Literature

Attorneys representing UC have argued that its hiring policy is justified because offering jobs to undocumented students could run afoul of the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986, a federal law that bars the hiring of people without legal status.

From Los Angeles Times

“The actions described in the article, if true, are despicable and run afoul of ethical duties of attorneys and criminal law in California,” Harrison wrote in a letter to Erika Doherty, the bar’s interim executive director.

From Los Angeles Times