caught short

phrase

1

: not having enough of something

Make sure you stock up on supplies before you set out on your trip. Don't be caught short!

2

British, informal : having a sudden urge to use the toilet

Examples of caught short in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

If the recent movement caught short sellers off guard, there may be a mechanical aspect that prolongs the rally beyond what fundamentals might indicate in the short term. — Trefis Team, Forbes.com, 27 Feb. 2026

The inning ended on one pitch from Hoffman, as O’Hearn launched a fly ball that was caught short of the track in right field. — Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Aug. 2025

She was frequently caught short by the playwright’s winking ambush. — Han Ong, New Yorker, 22 June 2025

The Black Guelph captured the German Independence Award for best film and best acting honors for Graham Earley, who stars as Kanto, a small-time drug dealer caught short by a visit from his long-absent father, an abuse survivor. — Kevin Cassidy, HollywoodReporter, 12 May 2025

Rhymes for caught short

• abort
• airport
• alport
• athwart
• carport
• comport
• consort
• deport
• disport
• distort
• escort
• exhort