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

For a girl who’d spent her whole life perfecting the art of arguing—with my brothers, my mother, my mule, and until just a few months ago with my daddy—suddenly I was caught short.

From Literature

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

Anyone caught short on a day like that risked being crushed.

From The Wall Street Journal

England midfielder Ruben Loftus-Cheek restored Milan's lead early in the second half as the Reds were again caught short at the back and Noah Okafor made it 3-1 with a brilliant finish beyond Liverpool's new Georgia goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili.

From BBC

Family friend Olive Brown says: "Every December I do have a wee sad moment, thinking he's not here. All that potential, enthusiasm and ability got caught short."

From BBC