to catch off guard

Examples

• All

• I'm sorry to catch you off guard, but we really need to talk in person.

  Fiction book (1999)

• His transition, in the middle of our sixth month, came abruptly enough to catch me completely off guard.

  Fiction book (1993)

• Must have caught you off guard.

  The Brutalist (2024)

• OK, he caught me off guard.

  Kung Fu Panda 2 (2011)

• Upon learning the news, the shock apparently caught the father off guard.

  Bucky and the Squirrels (2018)

• "Just what are you so angry about?" The question surprised him, caught him off guard.

  Fiction book (1990)

• We converted on third down, and we caught them off guard a little bit.

  Blog text (4)

• For a moment, the calm demeanor and the simple question caught Joshua off guard.

  Fiction book (1990)

• - Oh yeah, well, Mister Walker, I certainly understand why you're worried about it, ah... but that caught us completely off guard.

  The Midas Touch (2020)

• Becker had been caught off guard by the thoughtful testimony of Poling and McIntire.

  Academic text (1991)

Synonyms

S

to shock

vsto catch off guard

202 2.1

To cause someone to feel sudden surprise and distress

specifies that the surprise leaves someone unable to react immediately

S

to startle

vsto catch off guard

131 3.7

To make someone react suddenly because they feel surprised or afraid

usually leaves someone unprepared and unable to respond immediately instead

T

to take aback

vsto catch off guard

39 4.2

To surprise someone so much that they do not know what to say

is more about catching someone unready than pure astonishment

B

to blindside

vsto catch off guard

27 6.2

To surprise someone without warning so they feel shocked or upset

is similar but does not always imply harm or meanness

S

to stun

vsto catch off guard

11 3.0

To surprise someone so much they cannot react for a short time

is similar but focuses on being unprepared rather than duration of helplessness

S

to stagger

vsto catch off guard

7 3.8

Surprise someone very much

is narrower, focusing on unpreparedness rather than general disturbance

T

to throw off balance

vsto catch off guard

4 5.4

To make someone feel confused or unsure after a sudden change

is more about immediate unpreparedness and inability to react rather than lingering confusion

S

to shock the hell out of someone

vsto catch off guard

• Informal

2 8.1

To surprise someone suddenly and very strongly

matches in suddenness but is more about extreme emotional intensity

K

to knock over with a feather

vsto catch off guard

• Informal

1 8.8

To be so surprised that you almost cannot react

is about making someone unprepared rather than the dramatic comic effect

T

to throw a curve

vsto catch off guard

• Informal

1 8.4

To surprise or confuse someone by doing something they did not expect

focuses more on catching someone unready than simply causing confusion

C

to catch (someone) napping

vsto catch off guard

7.5

To find someone not ready or not paying attention

is about sudden surprise preventing any immediate response

C

to curveball

vsto catch off guard

• Informal

7.8

To surprise someone with an unexpected question or problem

is similar but emphasizes unpreparedness to react rather than confusion

Antonyms

P

to prepare

∞ 1.3

Teach someone the skills they need for a job or role

How Surprising

to stun

11 3.0

to catch off guard

15 4.0

to surprise

∞ 1.0

to startle

131 3.7

Surface Forms

Morphology

Etymology