flat-footed
Britishadjective
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having flatfoot
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informal
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clumsy or awkward
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downright and uncompromising
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informal off guard or unawares (often in the phrase catch flat-footed )
Other Word Forms
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.
Even as IBM helps its customers adapt to the AI age, it was caught flat-footed by it.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 16, 2026
It stands to reason the Fed can’t afford to be caught flat-footed on inflation again.
From Barron's ● May 20, 2026
Still, when ChatGPT arrived in late 2022, Amazon was caught flat-footed.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 27, 2026
Wood dictated the tempo across 12 rounds against a frustrated, flat-footed Warrington.
From BBC ● Feb. 21, 2026
And without a backward glance at Harry, Filch ran flat-footed from the office, Mrs. Norris streaking alongside him.
From "Harry Potter And The Chamber Of Secrets" by J. K. Rowling
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.
