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View synonyms for afoul

afoul

[ uh-foul ]

adverb

  1. in a state of collision or entanglement:

    a ship with its shrouds afoul.



afoul

/ əˈfaʊl /

adverb

  1. usually foll by of in or into a state of difficulty, confusion, or conflict (with)
  2. 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

“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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Word History and Origins

Origin of afoul1

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

Idioms
  1. 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

Two hundred years later, around the time of Leonardo’s late-15th century arrest, fully one-quarter of the city’s male population — hundreds of men every year — had run afoul of the antisodomy laws.

According to the lawsuit, the law runs afoul of free speech protections in the U.S.

Even worse, Kalmus said, Trump and his economic adviser Tesla CEO Elon Musk are going to take the ax to countless unrelated science initiatives that run afoul of their political positions.

From Salon

These media outlets are businesses and they don't want to run afoul of Trump.

From Salon

"His offer is only open to registered voters, so I think his offer runs afoul of this provision," Mr Berman told the BBC.

From BBC

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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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a fortioriafoul of