AFOUL Definition & Meaning

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afoul

[ uh-foul ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

adverb

in a state of collision or entanglement:
a ship with its shrouds afoul.

afoul

/ əˈ�ڲ�ʊ�� /

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 )
the boat ran afoul of a steamer
a yacht with its sails afoul

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51�Թ� History and Origins

Origin of afoul¹

An Americanism dating back to 1800–10; a- ¹ + foul

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Idioms and Phrases

run / come / fall afoul of,
1. to become entangled with:
  The boat ran afoul of the seaweed.
2. to come into conflict with:
  The business had fallen afoul of the new government regulations.

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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

“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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Both Geiers ran afoul of medical regulators in Maryland, their home state.

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Some victims of the Palisades conflagration have criticized the lack of transparency, while open government advocates say the city’s refusal to release public records runs afoul of disclosure laws.

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But they ran afoul of Trump by embracing the fundamentally American ideal that our diversity is our strength.

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The South Africa proposal is but one of several Trump has made that appear to run afoul of the law.

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

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