The term 'AGAINST THE RULES' can be described by four crossword solutions: AFOUL (5 letters), ILLEGAL (7 letters), ILLICIT (7 letters), and NOTOK (5 letters). These words all refer to something that is not allowed or prohibited by law, custom, or accepted standards. AFOUL means contrary to the rules of a game or sport, while ILLEGAL and ILLICIT refer to activities that are prohibited by law or social norms. NOTOK is an informal way of saying that something is not acceptable. All four words indicate that an action or behavior is not in accordance with the rules.