trip up

Idioms  

1. Make or cause someone to make a mistake, as in The other finalist tripped up when he was asked to spell “trireme,” or They tripped him up with that difficult question. [Second half of 1700s]

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

trip up

“I don’t think this will trip up their plans for the studio’s future,” he said.

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 25, 2026

There are endless so-called edge cases—unusual situations—that could trip up self-driving cars.

From Barron's ● Jun. 18, 2026

Thick hair, tattoos, darker pigmentation or aggressive movement can trip up sensors, says John Schuna, associate professor of kinesiology at Oregon State University.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 7, 2026

Regina was lucky enough to plant her flag and claim the well-sought title of being first in line, arriving around 6 a.m. after a quick trip up from Long Beach.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 14, 2025

In the second week of August, near the end of our stay, I’d arranged for the side trip up to Quang Ngai.

From "The Things They Carried" by Tim O'Brien

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