gotcha

noun got·cha \ ˈgä-chə \

|Updated on: 1 Aug 2018

Definition of gotcha

: an unexpected usually disconcerting challenge, revelation, or catch; also : an attempt to embarrass, expose, or disgrace someone (such as a politician) with a gotcha

See gotcha defined for English-language learners

Examples of gotcha in a Sentence

The program has a few gotchas in store for unsuspecting computer users.
the gotcha in the low monthly rate quoted by the cable company is that it is a teaser and good for only six months

Recent Examples of gotcha from the Web

The opinion noted, pointedly, that use of credit checks was permitted by the EEOC’s own hiring guidelines — an act of gotcha jiujitsu that was praised by the Wall Street Journal.

— dara lind, Vox, "Trump’s reported Supreme Court finalists: Brett Kavanaugh, Amy Coney Barrett, and Raymond Kethledge," 5 July 2018
Of course, in every hearing since 1987, Senators have asked gotcha questions and nominees have given evasive answers.

— jeffrey rosen, WSJ, "What We Learn from Supreme Court Confirmation Hearings," 13 July 2018
His lack of basic human decency isn’t a gotcha to Democrat me or a victory for Republican you.

— fabiola santiago, miamiherald, "Our indecent president calls people seeking refuge ‘animals.’ It's hate speech. | Miami Herald," 17 May 2018
Everyone makes mistakes — and the point is not to play gotcha.

— glenn kessler, Washington Post, "Fact-checking President Trump’s ‘Fake News Awards’," 17 Jan. 2018
Now the press has its gotcha, and it’s Donald Trump Jr. Golly.

— holman w. jenkins, WSJ, "On Don Jr., the Media Can’t Help Itself," 14 July 2017
Another gotcha in the above fine print: This card (and many others) pays loss-of-use only if verified by the rental company’s log.

— ed perkins, USA TODAY, "Nine nasty truths about car rental insurance," 26 Oct. 2017
In the game of gotcha, this breastfeeding mom just won.

— lisa gutierrez, kansascity, "Museum asks breastfeeding mom to cover up, so she tweets its bare-breasted statues," 8 Aug. 2017
And his attacks have spawned a cottage industry of Trump supporters who have declared a digital war of sorts against CNN, including gotcha videos of network employees and threatening messages sent to anchors’ cellphones.

— michael m. grynbaum, New York Times, "The Network Against the Leader of the Free World," 5 July 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'gotcha.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.