| 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. collinsdictionary.com • 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?); 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) |
