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
Wood dictated the tempo across 12 rounds against a frustrated, flat-footed Warrington.
From BBC ● Feb. 21, 2026
Rodriguez said the city is often left flat-footed when encampments pop up on hillsides and property owners don’t help address the issue.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 18, 2026
But somehow, after throwing a fit in the starting gate and being left flat-footed at the bell, the colt won his race that day.
From "Seabiscuit: An American Legend" by Laura Hillenbrand
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.
