afoul

/əˈfaʊl/
adverb
  1. Into a state of conflict, collision, or entanglement (used in the phrase 'run afoul of').
    • The boat ran afoul of a hidden reef and was damaged.
    • His comments ran afoul of the school's code of conduct.
    • The company ran afoul of environmental regulations and had to pay a fine.
What does "afoul" mean? | whatsthatwordmean | whatsthatwordmean