: an unexpected usually disconcerting challenge, revelation, or catch
also
: an attempt to embarrass, expose, or disgrace someone (such as a politician) with a gotcha
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 on the Web
That all sounds quite sensible and a smart way to proceed, but the matter is more complex and a lot of gotchas and challenges confront such a solution.
—
Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 7 July 2025
Devers eventually agreed to be the DH but then played a game of punitive gotcha with management by refusing to grab a glove and give first base a try after Triston Casas ruptured his left patellar tendon and was lost for the season.
—Steve Buckley, New York Times, 16 June 2025
That’s not a gotcha moment for Timberwolves coach Chris Finch.
—Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 31 Jan. 2025
One interviewee with his answers fully prepared is, unsurprisingly, Hansen himself — whose extensive one-to-one with the filmmaker is the doc’s startling third-act coup, albeit not one of seismic revelations or aggressive gotcha tactics.
—Guy Lodge, Variety, 26 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for gotcha
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Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 7 July 2025
Devers eventually agreed to be the DH but then played a game of punitive gotcha with management by refusing to grab a glove and give first base a try after Triston Casas ruptured his left patellar tendon and was lost for the season.
—Steve Buckley, New York Times, 16 June 2025
That’s not a gotcha moment for Timberwolves coach Chris Finch.
—Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 31 Jan. 2025
One interviewee with his answers fully prepared is, unsurprisingly, Hansen himself — whose extensive one-to-one with the filmmaker is the doc’s startling third-act coup, albeit not one of seismic revelations or aggressive gotcha tactics.
—Guy Lodge, Variety, 26 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for gotcha
Cite this Entry
“Gotcha.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gotcha. Accessed 15 Jul. 2025.
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