blindsided

American  

[blahynd-sahy-did] / ˈblaɪndˌsaɪ dɪd /

adjective

1. Sports. tackled, hit, or attacked by an opponent on the blind side, out of the player’s field of vision.

   The blindsided offensive lineman was taken down by the defensive tackle coming around the other way.

2. attacked critically or taken by surprise where one is vulnerable, uninformed or unprepared, etc..

   Told by a cryptic university official that his keynote address was being canceled “for political reasons,” the blindsided philanthropist was left searching for answers.

3. (of such an attack, tackle, etc.) delivered from the blind side, unexpectedly, or in a way that exposes or takes advantage of a vulnerability.

   A staff meeting is no place for a blindsided assault on an administrator.

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verb

1. the simple past tense and past participle of blindside.

Etymology

Origin of blindsided

First recorded in 1985–90; blindside + -ed ² ( def. ) for the adjective senses; blindside + -ed ¹ ( def. ) for the verb sense

Example Sentences

Many new homeowners have it tough amid elevated interest rates and steep listing prices — and many are being blindsided by a “newcomer tax” that’s becoming more widespread.

From MarketWatch • May 1, 2026

Higgins, who lost Season 4 of “The Traitors” in the finale after being blindsided by her friend and co-star Rob Rausch, rose to prominence on “Love Island” in 2019.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 23, 2026

Michael Polak, a UK based lawyer from Justice Abroad, said: "The police were blindsided by the money."

From BBC • Apr. 22, 2026

In securities filings, Ghassemieh says he was blindsided by the announcement.

From Barron's • Apr. 9, 2026

Furious at being blindsided by the appointment, Bush dodged Groves’s brusque queries about the state of the project and dashed off a prickly letter to Stimson’s assistant, Harvey Bundy.

From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik