| idiom. |
to protest about something which appears to be unjust (wiktionary.org); to say that something that has happened is unfair or illegal (The opposition parties have cried foul at the president's act, seeing it as a violation of democracy.  cambridge.org); if you cry foul, you claim that someone, especially an opponent or rival, has acted illegally or unfairly (Deprived of the crushing victory it was confidently expecting, the party cried foul. • Americans rightly cry foul when their companies are shut out of overseas markets or are perceived to be the victim of unfair treatment overseas. • But then social worker pen-pushers and lefties will cry foul, so what is the answer? collinsdictionary.com); to complain that someone has done something that is not fair (chiefly US: When her parents gave her a new bicycle, her sisters cried foul. merriam-webster.com) |
