How to Use off guard in a Sentence

off guard

phrase

• That’s why the fact that what was said was said catches me so off guard.
  — Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 8 July 2026
• The backlash over the pause on traffic stops caught some in the White House off guard.
  — Nick Miroff, The Atlantic, 15 July 2026
• As access to restrooms during the outage was blocked, some guests said they were caught off guard.
  — Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 29 July 2026
• The safest approach is to put protections in place before an urgent call, text or email catches you off guard.
  — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 17 July 2026
• Residents said they were caught off guard a year ago and didn’t receive any warning when floods overtopped the Guadalupe.
  — Jesse Bedayn, Los Angeles Times, 16 July 2026
• They were perhaps caught off guard that France fielded the majority of their stars in that meeting.
  — Tim Spiers, New York Times, 30 June 2026
• Within days, nearly every artist dropped out, with some claiming they were caught off guard by the partisan nature of the event.
  — Philip Wang, Time, 29 June 2026
• Caleb Kilian appeared caught off guard by the decision, dropping to the ground as Susac made the throw.
  — Justice Delos Santos, Mercury News, 21 July 2026
• The move caught lawmakers in both parties off guard and delayed enactment of the legislation.
  — Sarah Agostino,mike Winters, CNBC, 11 July 2026
• Trying to catch Cape Verde off guard, Messi curled a left-footed shot toward the upper right corner of the net.
  — Tim Rohan, NBC news, 4 July 2026
• Dedicate one for the car or tuck one in the undercarriage of your stroller and you’ll never be caught off guard by an unexpectedly chilly morning.
  — Vy Yang, Architectural Digest, 4 Aug. 2026
• Almost as quickly, online retail demand surged, and consumer behavior flipped in ways that caught Llerandi off guard.
  — Paula De La Cruz, Forbes.com, 22 July 2026
• This month’s announcement from CMS caught states off guard with a new definition of medical frailty.
  — ABC News, 29 June 2026
• Miller often called well into the evening, Dudek said, to chastise him about anything the press had reported that day that had caught the administration off guard.
  — Eli Hager, ProPublica, 8 Sep. 2025
• Weather shifts quickly at elevation, cell service is spotty in remote areas, and desert and alpine environments carry risks that catch first-timers off guard.
  — Ashley Lynch, Miami Herald, 24 July 2026
• The change at Blue Spring was announced two weeks ago on Facebook and Instagram, catching some daytime visitors off guard.
  — Patrick Connolly, The Orlando Sentinel, 18 July 2026
• John Healey has been named as finance minister in a move that has caught commentators and markets off guard, as his name was absent from speculation before the appointment.
  — Leonie Kidd, CNBC, 21 July 2026
• The virulence of the French and Spanish wildfires, fueled by high temperatures and the long-term effects of climate change, caught fire crews and authorities off guard.
  — Mark Carlson, Fortune, 25 July 2026
• The energy price spike ushered in by the Iran war left many Americans off guard as inflation remains persistent and higher costs ding consumer sentiment.
  — Bloomberg, Mercury News, 7 July 2026
• Sirens, horns, and shouts to evacuate rang out in the West Bottoms and along Southwest Boulevard all morning, but the speed of the flooding still caught everyone off guard.
  — Kansas City Public Library Staff, Kansas City Star, 1 July 2026
• Firefighters and authorities in both European countries were caught off guard by the virulence of the fires, which were fueled by high temperatures and the long-term effects of climate change.
  — ABC News, 25 July 2026
• That’s because the introduction came as a surprise, catching Camilla off guard, according to royal author Penny Junor.
  — Starr Bowenbank, InStyle, 17 July 2026
• The moment visibly caught Duff off guard, prompting members of her security team to step forward briefly, though the singer quickly laughed it off and continued the performance without interruption.
  — Lily Brown, PEOPLE, 3 July 2026
• Convinced no good men exist in her country, Naru is caught off guard when Qodrat, Kabul TV’s most respected journalist, gives her a career opportunity.
  — Leo Barraclough, Variety, 3 Aug. 2026
• Magnitude caught authorities off guard The French military A400M transport plane, specially converted for firefighting, was a heavyweight new tool in the battle.
  — Mark Carlson, Los Angeles Times, 25 July 2026
• After the assemblies, longtime Colorado Democratic strategist Mike Dino told CBS Colorado that DeGette's name recognition and congressional seniority were significant advantages in the race, but that her poor showing caught him off guard.
  — Jesse Sarles, CBS News, 1 July 2026