# run afoul of

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/run-afoul-of
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

To contravene.

## Examples

- He ran afoul of the new parking rules.
- The small business ran afoul of tax regulations and had to pay a fine.
- In her eagerness to publish quickly, the young researcher inadvertently ran afoul of ethical guidelines governing data privacy.

---

From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.