blindside
Americanverb (used with object)
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Sports. to tackle, hit, or attack (an opponent) from the blind side.
The quarterback was blindsided and had the ball knocked out of his hand.
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to attack critically where a person is vulnerable, uninformed, etc..
The president was blindsided by the press on the latest tax bill.
Etymology
Origin of blindside
First recorded in 1970–75; verb use of noun phrase blind side
Explanation
To blindside is to launch a surprise attack, especially one that comes from an obstructed or hidden place. Your video game army might blindside your friend's army, resulting in your victory. If you come up from behind your brother and shove him, you can say that you blindside him. There is also a more figurative way to blindside someone — simply to do or say something the person is utterly unprepared for. You could blindside your family, for example, by suddenly announcing that you're moving to China. The oldest use of blindside as a verb, around 1968, referred to a football tackle.
Vocabulary lists containing blindside
Middle School: The Worst Years of My Life
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Lyrics from "Everybody's Free (To Wear Sunscreen)" by Baz Luhrmann
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Five Feet Apart
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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.
See Examples For:
Tiny funds tend not to last long so the wave of launches this year and next is almost guaranteed to bring hundreds of closures that can blindside unsuspecting owners with tax bills.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 27, 2026
With runners arriving on the blindside of the defenders at the back post, Japan struggled to cope and it was little surprise that Casemiro's equaliser came from this simple but effective ploy.
From BBC ● Jun. 29, 2026
Clarke's corner repeatedly protested low blows from TKV, some drifting in on the blindside of the referee, who issued a warning in the third.
From BBC ● Nov. 29, 2025
Another change to the starting 15 sees Wallace Sititi return at blindside flanker following a breakthrough 2024 campaign.
From Barron's ● Nov. 6, 2025
So, apparently when Grandma said she’d take care of it, she meant she’d blindside Dad and tell him just moments before we got in the cab.
From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold
"I felt so stupid. I trusted and I cared about people that did bad things. I don't ever want to be as blindsided as I was by them not being who they said they were."
From BBC ● Aug. 29, 2026
Polestar told U.S. dealers it was blindsided by a Commerce Department decision banning it from the U.S. market while allowing Volvo Cars to remain.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 24, 2026
The company last year complained that it was blindsided by the FDA rejection after having followed the agency’s guidance.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026
As she’s being driven to her office, she’s blindsided by the news that her medical records have been leaked, revealing she is in ill health and sending company shares tumbling.
From Salon ● Jul. 19, 2026
In two moves, the ablutionist blindsided the careless pawn and removed it from the field.
From "The Many Assassinations of Samir, the Seller of Dreams" by Daniel Nayeri
It’s more than fair to say that this dust-up isn’t a new development that is blindsiding investors.
From Barron's ● Nov. 10, 2025
Fox News host turned Secretary of Defense nominee Pete Hegseth faced an investigation over a sexual assault allegation, blindsiding President-elect Donald Trump’s transition team, according to news reports.
From Salon ● Nov. 15, 2024
So four people who knew Mr Altman and the business well reached a breaking point of such seriousness that they sprung into action immediately, blindsiding the entire tech community including, reportedly, their own investors.
From BBC ● Nov. 20, 2023
“It’s been awful. It’s been blindsiding, it’s been a shock because I personally love the L.A. Times and I loved working for you guys and ... that’s gone.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 8, 2023
Reckitt recently raised prices on some formulas, blindsiding some parents already frustrated with the struggle to find certain brands.
From Washington Times ● Mar. 28, 2023
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.
