off guard

Idioms  

1. Also, off one's guard. Not watchful, easily surprised. It is often put as catch (or be caught) off guard, meaning “take (or be taken) by surprise.” For example, The securities analyst was caught off guard by that financial report, or With any luck the boss will be off guard when I come in late. [Late 1600s] The antonym, on guard or on one's guard, meaning “watchful or prepared, especially to defend oneself,” was first recorded in 1577. For example, In this crowd we must be on guard against pickpockets, or I'm always on my guard when I'm asked how I voted.

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Example Sentences

Investors may be hoping for a calmer landscape next year but there’s plenty of scenarios that could catch markets off guard.

From Barron's

“Emergencies happen every year. They occur regularly. You only get caught off guard because you didn’t have a plan,” Clark said.

From MarketWatch

Caught off guard, Estelle asked him what he wanted to change it to.

From The Wall Street Journal

“Countries hit early may have been caught off guard and are scrambling to ramp up countermeasures,” Rajnarayanan said.

From Salon

If you know you’re overly reactive to certain conversations, let your partner know beforehand so that they aren’t caught off guard in the moment.

From MarketWatch