red-handed
adverb or adjective
red-hand·ed
ˈred-ˈhan-dəd 
: in the act of committing a crime or misdeed
caught red-handed
Examples of red-handed in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The scheme worked and the worker was let go after being caught red-handed in their attempts to shirk responsibilities.
—
Matthew Impelli, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 June 2025
Hungry and miserable, she is caught red-handed robbing someone’s apartment, sparking a taste for kleptomania.
—Samantha Bergeson, IndieWire, 6 May 2025
Catching yourself red-handed is the first step to focus on what’s real.
—Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 1 May 2025
With the entire scheme laid out and the staff caught red-handed, the district threatens to suspend any teacher taking bribes.
—Ile-Ife Okantah, Vulture, 19 Mar. 2025
There’s no trophy for stopping an attack, no dramatic movie moment where an attacker is caught red-handed.
—Shahar Man, Forbes, 24 Feb. 2025
The moment a man was caught red-handed trying on his wife's clothes has gone viral on TikTok, racking up over 41 million views.
—Tom Rogers, Newsweek, 21 Feb. 2025
Such individuals often avoid taking personal responsibility at all costs, even when caught red-handed.
—Mark Travers, Forbes, 20 Feb. 2025
Racking up over 108,000 views, the clip shows the moment a tuxedo cat called Bob was caught red-handed hanging out inside the reptiles' enclosure.
—Michael Gfoeller and David H. Rundell, Newsweek, 16 Jan. 2025
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Matthew Impelli, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 June 2025
Hungry and miserable, she is caught red-handed robbing someone’s apartment, sparking a taste for kleptomania.
—Samantha Bergeson, IndieWire, 6 May 2025
Catching yourself red-handed is the first step to focus on what’s real.
—Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 1 May 2025
With the entire scheme laid out and the staff caught red-handed, the district threatens to suspend any teacher taking bribes.
—Ile-Ife Okantah, Vulture, 19 Mar. 2025
There’s no trophy for stopping an attack, no dramatic movie moment where an attacker is caught red-handed.
—Shahar Man, Forbes, 24 Feb. 2025
The moment a man was caught red-handed trying on his wife's clothes has gone viral on TikTok, racking up over 41 million views.
—Tom Rogers, Newsweek, 21 Feb. 2025
Such individuals often avoid taking personal responsibility at all costs, even when caught red-handed.
—Mark Travers, Forbes, 20 Feb. 2025
Racking up over 108,000 views, the clip shows the moment a tuxedo cat called Bob was caught red-handed hanging out inside the reptiles' enclosure.
—Michael Gfoeller and David H. Rundell, Newsweek, 16 Jan. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Red-handed.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/red-handed. Accessed 3 Jul. 2025.
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