afoul


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afoul

(əˈfaʊl)
adv, adj (postpositive)
1. (usually foll by of) in or into a state of difficulty, confusion, or conflict (with)
2. (Nautical Terms) (often foll by of) in or into an entanglement or collision (with) (often in the phrase run afoul of): a yacht with its sails afoul; the boat ran afoul of a steamer.
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

a•foul

(əˈfaʊl)

adv., adj.
in a state of collision or entanglement: a ship with its shrouds afoul.
Idioms:
run or come or fall afoul of,
a. to become entangled with: The boat ran afoul of the seaweed.
b. to come into conflict with.
[1800–10, Amer.]
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Adj.1.afoul - especially of a ship's lines etcafoul - especially of a ship's lines etc; "with its sails afoul"; "a foul anchor"
tangled - in a confused mass; "pushed back her tangled hair"; "the tangled ropes"
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
Translations
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afoul

[əˈfaʊl] ADV
1. to run afoul of sbponerse a malas or indisponerse con algn
2. to run afoul of a shipchocar con un barco
Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

afoul

adj pred adv lines, ropesverheddert, verwirrt; to run afoul of the lawmit dem Gesetz in Konflikt geraten
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007
References in classic literature ?
Coming afoul of that old man has a sort of turned me wrong side out.
And now I will tell how it came about that Robin Hood fell afoul of the law.
An Alabama Ford dealer ran afoul of corporate with its Fourth of July promotion.
'The suspended chairman is running afoul of the law.
The parents claimed the officials ran afoul of the Racketeering Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, violated families' constitutional rights, including their religious freedom, and committed conspiracy to promote the sale and use of biological and chemical weapons on California citizens, among other claims.
GEM TV does not broadcast news and so would not run afoul of the Islamic Republic on that basis.
City Attorney Mike Feuer claims it runs afoul of a voter-approved measure limiting the number of dispensaries in the city and is an unauthorized use of the property.
The 43-year-old actor plays the role of a literary professor whose gambling addiction sees him run afoul of gangsters in the upcoming movie.