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

"I'm a bit of a pessimist so I'm worried we'll trip up against Haiti," he says.

From BBC ● Jun. 12, 2026

Worries about Fed rate hikes and souring earnings expectations could easily trip up the market for a second straight month.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 5, 2026

Then we all crammed inside for the four-hour trip up winding, rutted roads to the mountains.

From "Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Changed the World" by Malala Yousafzai

Related Words

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• hesitate
• reel
• waver
• wobble