caught flat-footed

Idioms

Caught unprepared, taken by surprise, as in The reporter's question caught the President flat-footed. This usage comes from one or another sport in which a player should be on his or her toes, ready to act. [c. 1900]

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.

Unable to trap West Ham with a high press, United were caught flat-footed by an incisive break.

From Barron's • Feb. 10, 2026

“And the city got caught flat-footed trying to keep up.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 18, 2026

Earlier this summer, running breathless on the rugged shores of the Pacific on the Oregon coast, I was caught flat-footed by a ghost.

From Slate • Sep. 22, 2024

They don’t want to get caught flat-footed at a time when the state of the industry is already tenuous because of pay-TV cord-cutting, streaming losses and other factors.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 29, 2024

It was natural that such an excuse would be offered when the fellows were caught flat-footed.

From Interference and Other Football Stories by Sherman, Harold Morrow

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