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afoul
[uh-foul]
adverb
in a state of collision or entanglement.
a ship with its shrouds afoul.
afoul
/ əˈڲʊ /
adverb
(usually foll by of) in or into a state of difficulty, confusion, or conflict (with)
(often foll by of) in or into an entanglement or collision (with) (often in the phrase run afoul of )
a yacht with its sails afoul
the boat ran afoul of a steamer
51Թ History and Origins
Idioms and Phrases
run / come / fall afoul of,
to become entangled with.
The boat ran afoul of the seaweed.
to come into conflict with.
The business had fallen afoul of the new government regulations.
Example Sentences
He wants to bail his cousin out of jail and he runs afoul of the crooked local sheriff.
She questioned why Glendale was adhering to a decades-old agreement that runs afoul of SB 54, while city council officials defended the decision.
Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy echoed Vance's comments later in the meeting, encouraging visitors to "go on a road trip" and "see this beautiful country," before warning against running afoul of immigration officers.
Using "personnel" to "prevent crime" seems to run afoul of the 1878 law, which is one sentence long.
“Ruling party lawmakers know that they could be called up to the Cabinet anytime, which means they try not to run afoul of the president,” he said.
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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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