catch out
verb
caught out; catching out; catches out
1
: to detect in error or wrongdoing
caught him out committing perjury
2
: to take unawares or by surprise
Examples of catch out in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Doing so will put them at risk of getting caught out at immigration, however.
—
Duncan Madden, Forbes.com, 23 Jan. 2026
Long shift, we got caught out there.
—Michael Russo, New York Times, 13 Jan. 2026
Why local expertise matters more here Miami’s neighborhoods exhibit extreme variation that catches out-of-town buyers by surprise.
—Allison Palmer, Miami Herald, 19 Dec. 2025
In Australia, the debate has been more fraught than almost anywhere else, and so the government’s announcement caught out even those who’ve been at the negotiating table.
—Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 7 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for catch out
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Duncan Madden, Forbes.com, 23 Jan. 2026
Long shift, we got caught out there.
—Michael Russo, New York Times, 13 Jan. 2026
Why local expertise matters more here Miami’s neighborhoods exhibit extreme variation that catches out-of-town buyers by surprise.
—Allison Palmer, Miami Herald, 19 Dec. 2025
In Australia, the debate has been more fraught than almost anywhere else, and so the government’s announcement caught out even those who’ve been at the negotiating table.
—Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 7 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for catch out
Cite this Entry
“Catch out.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/catch%20out. Accessed 29 Jan. 2026.
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