trip up
phrasal verb
tripped up; tripping up; trips up
: to cause (someone) to make a mistake
He tried to trip up the cashier as she counted his change.
Examples of trip up in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Research from two years ago found AI could pass the first two levels of the CFA exam, but got tripped up on the hardest level because of its essay questions.
—
Alex Harring, CNBC, 25 Sep. 2025
A lot of people get tripped up in the follow-through, so using strategies to keep you on track is critical, Milkman said.
—Madeline Holcombe, CNN Money, 23 Sep. 2025
This is where corporate innovation teams often trip up.
—Dev Patnaik, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2025
Ingebrigtsen started the race in his typical fashion when racing early rounds, positioning himself at the back of the pack early on – to avoid tripping up or being boxed in – and moving through the field later in the race.
—Liam Tharme, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for trip up
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Alex Harring, CNBC, 25 Sep. 2025
A lot of people get tripped up in the follow-through, so using strategies to keep you on track is critical, Milkman said.
—Madeline Holcombe, CNN Money, 23 Sep. 2025
This is where corporate innovation teams often trip up.
—Dev Patnaik, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2025
Ingebrigtsen started the race in his typical fashion when racing early rounds, positioning himself at the back of the pack early on – to avoid tripping up or being boxed in – and moving through the field later in the race.
—Liam Tharme, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for trip up
Cite this Entry
“Trip up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/trip%20up. Accessed 6 Oct. 2025.
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