afoul

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

But Rossetti’s comments ran afoul of his boss, the Catholic archbishop of Washington, D.C., who announced Wednesday he had “removed” Rossetti from his position as an exorcist.

From Slate • Jun. 8, 2026

While both these approaches would almost certainly run afoul of labor laws, the new tax law has introduced a temptation that simply wasn’t there before.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 4, 2026

This judge had complete command of her courtroom and had no qualms about lambasting anyone who ran afoul of the rules.

From BBC • May 15, 2026

Phelan, a former businessman with close ties to Trump who helped fundraising efforts for his presidential campaigns, ran afoul of both the president and Hegseth during his tenure, according to CNN.

From Salon • May 1, 2026

I discovered dangerous secrets and fell afoul of the tyrant Claudius.

From "Ophelia" by Lisa Klein