runs afoul of
Clashes with, legally
Runs afoul of means to come into conflict or collision with—typically rules, laws, or authorities.
Someone who runs afoul of regulations has violated them; someone who runs afoul of a powerful person has earned their opposition.
The nautical origin suggests ships' rigging becoming tangled: Her comments ran afoul of company policy.
He ran afoul of the IRS after years of creative accounting.
- violateBreak a rule deliberately
- contraveneAct against a rule
- floutOpenly defy authority
- misconductImproper professional behavior
- infringeViolate another's rights
break the law · overstep · transgress · cross the line · disobey · mistake · wrongdoing · run · step on toes · rub the wrong way · defy · go against · fly in the face of · oversight · trespass · disrespect · breach · oppose