off guard

phrase

: in an unprepared or unsuspecting state

Her angry response caught me off guard.

Examples of off guard in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Ted was an adorable lead and head coach and despite his lack of experience or knowledge of soccer, his remarkable way with people took everyone off guard, including viewers. — Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026

Borrow without understanding the basics, though, and the true costs can catch you off guard. — Sharon Wu, USA Today, 7 Aug. 2026

But this time, the Players entered the palace fully aware of the format’s twists and traps, armed with strategies, stronger instincts, and a ruthlessness that caught me off guard. — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 7 Aug. 2026

Though Krukow’s departure will be hard for Giants fans to digest, his partner in the booth wasn’t caught off guard by the decision. — Justice Delos Santos, Mercury News, 6 Aug. 2026

Rhymes for off guard

• asgard
• backyard
• barnyard
• blackguard
• bombard
• brickyard
• canard
• churchyard
• coastguard
• courtyard
• debarred
• diehard