Meaning Of Catch Someone Out In English - Cambridge Dictionary

Meaning of catch someone out in English

catch someone out

phrasal verb with catch verb uk /kætʃ/ us /kætʃ/ caught | caught informal

(SHOW WRONG)

Add to word list Add to word list to show that someone is doing wrong: I suspected he wasn't telling me the truth, and one day I caught him out when I found some letters he'd written. Proving and disproving
  • acid test
  • actions speak louder than words idiom
  • age verification
  • anti-sexist
  • attest
  • demonstrable
  • demonstrably
  • demonstration of something
  • dispel
  • disprove
  • nail a lie idiom
  • non-documentary
  • non-evidence
  • probatory
  • proof positive
  • untestable
  • verification
  • verify
  • vindicate
  • vindication
See more results »

(TRICK)

to trick someone into making a mistake: The examiner will try to catch you out, so stay calm and think carefully before you speak. Plotting & trapping
  • be in league with someone idiom
  • cahoots
  • chemtrail
  • chicanery
  • cloak-and-dagger
  • conspiracy theorist
  • conspiracy theory
  • conspirator
  • conspire
  • entrap
  • insinuate
  • machination
  • outplot
  • plotter
  • ploy
  • pretext
  • pretextual
  • sting
  • what's your game? idiom
  • wheeze
See more results »

(CAUSE DIFFICULTY)

to put someone in a difficult situation: A lot of people were caught out by the sudden change in the weather. Causing difficulties for oneself or others
  • ask questions of someone/something idiom
  • be a tall order idiom
  • be asking for trouble idiom
  • be your own worst enemy idiom
  • beset
  • dig
  • lay
  • make a rod for your own back idiom
  • make heavy weather of something idiom
  • make it difficult for someone to do something
  • obduracy
  • open a can of worms
  • pose
  • sand
  • store something up phrasal verb
  • store up trouble/problems idiom
  • subject someone/something to something phrasal verb
  • sucker punch
  • swamp
  • wrong-foot
See more results »
(Definition of catch someone out from the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary & Thesaurus © Cambridge University Press)

catch sb out | Business English

catch sb out

phrasal verb with catch verb [ T ] uk /kætʃ/ us caught | caught Add to word list Add to word list to unexpectedly cause difficulty for someone: The interest rate is very competitive and fixed for the term, so borrowers won't get caught out by rising interest rates. (Definition of catch someone out from the Cambridge Business English Dictionary © Cambridge University Press)

Translations of catch someone out

in Chinese (Traditional) 指出錯誤, 指出…的過失, 耍花招… See more in Chinese (Simplified) 指出错误, 指出…的过失, 耍花招… See more in Spanish pillar a alguien, sorprender a alguien, eliminar… See more in Portuguese fazer sair, apanhar desprevenido… See more Need a translator?

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catch someone napping idiom catch someone off guard idiom catch someone on the hop idiom catch someone on the wrong foot idiom catch someone out phrasal verb catch someone red-handed idiom catch someone up on something phrasal verb catch someone with their pants/trousers down idiom catch someone's attention, imagination, interest, etc. phrase {{#randomImageQuizHook.filename}} {{#randomImageQuizHook.isQuiz}} Test your vocabulary with our fun image quizzes Try a quiz now {{/randomImageQuizHook.isQuiz}} {{^randomImageQuizHook.isQuiz}} {{/randomImageQuizHook.isQuiz}} {{/randomImageQuizHook.filename}}

Word of the Day

hand in glove

working together, often to do something dishonest

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  • English   
    • Phrasal verb 
      • catch someone out (SHOW WRONG)
      • catch someone out (TRICK)
      • catch someone out (CAUSE DIFFICULTY)
  • Business   Phrasal verb
  • Translations
  • Grammar
  • All translations
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