gotcha
Americaninterjection
Etymology
Origin of gotcha
A phonetic spelling representing the pronunciation of got you in continuous rapid speech
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
It was not a gotcha sort of documentary.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 14, 2026
Ms. Stefanik wasn’t trying to ask a gotcha question, she writes in the book.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 10, 2026
Dominick’s present-day reaction to seeing the gotcha intro to “I Married a Horse” is to giggle softly, then gesture with both hands like an orchestra conductor cueing a “ta-dah!” from the brass section.
From Salon • Jan. 7, 2025
“This convening, for too many people across America in education, feels like the ultimate gotcha moment,” David C. Banks, the New York City schools chancellor, said toward the hearing’s end.
From New York Times • May 9, 2024
He gives me a gotcha look, then reaches into his front jeans pocket and pulls out a chipped conch-shaped shell.
From "I'll Give You the Sun" by Jandy Nelson
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
