run afoul of
To become entangled in; to run aground on.
afoul
/əˈfaʊl/
adv 2
Collocations
3ADJ.
all
VERB + AFOUL
doubt, fell, sails
AFOUL + NOUN
hers, law
Definitions
adv
1
In a state of collision or entanglement.
The ships’ lines and sails were all afoul.
After paying out chain, we swung clear, but our anchors were no doubt afoul of hers.
2
In a state of entanglement or conflict (with).
He had a knack for running afoul of the law.
What the devil’s the matter with me? I don’t stand right on my legs. Coming afoul of that old man has a sort of turned me wrong side out.
Thesaurus
Synonyms
Antonyms
Idioms & Phrases
Example Bank
401
The ships’ lines and sails were all afoul.
Wiktionary02
After paying out chain, we swung clear, but our anchors were no doubt afoul of hers.
Wiktionary03
1849, William F. Lynch, The Naval Officer, Chapter 2, in Graham’s Magazine, Volume 34, Number 3, March 1849, The atmosphere was soon thick and stifling, and the crews were working their guns with the
Wiktionary04
And now I will tell how it came about that Robin Hood fell afoul of the law.
Tatoeba · #5320313Usage Notes
i Register
In some senses, afoul is marked as archaic. Watch for register when choosing this word.
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