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

America’s Most Wanted, 1988–2021), caught criminals red-handed (To Catch a Predator, 2004–07), or otherwise examined the criminal justice system flooded television schedules in the late 20th and early 21st centuries. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 8 June 2026

The referee caught her red-handed, and threw B-Fab out of the match. — Alfred Konuwa, Forbes.com, 31 May 2026

The white-shoe law firm got caught red-handed. — Max Raskin, Washington Post, 19 May 2026

Some data brokers have been caught red-handed packaging large datasets and selling them directly to scammers for elder fraud. — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 9 May 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1819, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for red-handed

• backhanded
• commanded
• demanded
• disbanded
• expanded
• misbranded
• remanded
• unbranded
• banded
• branded
• candid
• handed

Kids Definition

red-handed

adverb or adjective

red-hand·​ed

ˈred-ˈhan-dəd

: in the act of doing something wrong