caught short

Idioms

Found to be lacking something one needs, especially money, as in Can you pay the check? I seem to be caught short. This idiom uses short in the sense of “lacking money,” a usage dating from the early 1500s.

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:

caught short

Those caught short, like India and Australia, might overcompensate.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 23, 2026

Is there a safe exit route if he's caught short?

From BBC ● Apr. 25, 2026

Speculators get caught short and are forced to sell some of their assets at fire-sale prices in order to raise cash to cover their debts.

From MarketWatch ● Nov. 21, 2025

If Bass and other leaders want to make up for being clearly caught short, they need to offer more, and clearer, information.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 10, 2025

It tried to run but was caught short by the leash.

From "Hollow City" by Ransom Riggs

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023