caught short

Idioms  

1. 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.

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Example Sentences

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

Meanwhile, the economy was slowing as growing numbers of property developers defaulted on debts, caught short in a crackdown on excessive borrowing that began in 2020 and has hamstrung the entire industry.

From Seattle Times ● Dec. 20, 2023

This time it was Emma whose breath caught short.

From "Hollow City" by Ransom Riggs

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