Oh! You took me by surprise because I didn't hear you come in.
•Bill caught his mother by surprise by coming to the door and pretending to be selling something.
Dictionary of American idioms. 2013.
catch someone by surprise — … Useful english dictionary
catch someone napping — CATCH OFF GUARD, catch unawares, (take by) surprise, catch out, find unprepared; informal catch someone with their trousers/pants down; Brit. informal catch on the hop. → nap * * * catch someone napping (informal) 1. To detect someone in error… … Useful english dictionary
catch someone unawares — catch/take/someone unawares phrase to surprise someone, often making them feel confused or embarrassed Burchill’s shot caught the goalkeeper completely unawares. Thesaurus: to make someone feel shocked or surprisedsynonym Main entry: unawares … Useful english dictionary
catch someone in the act — To come upon someone in the process of doing something they should not be doing • • • Main Entry: ↑act * * * I usu. be caught in the act surprise someone in the process of doing something wrong the thieves were caught in the act II see act … Useful english dictionary
catch someone on the hop — british informal phrase to surprise someone because you do something that they do not expect you to do Yesterday’s developments caught the government on the hop. Thesaurus: to make someone feel shocked or surprisedsynonym Main entry: hop … Useful english dictionary
catch someone off guard — surprise someone, catch someone unprepared … English contemporary dictionary
catch someone cold — catch (someone) cold American to surprise someone with an event, a question, or a piece of news they are not expecting. You caught me cold with this news I didn t know anything about it … New idioms dictionary
catch someone off guard — catch (someone) off guard to surprise someone. He s used to being interviewed and it seems that no question catches him off guard … New idioms dictionary
catch/take by surprise — catch/take (someone or something) by surprise 1 : to happen to (someone or something) unexpectedly : to surprise (someone or something) The question caught him by surprise. The organization was taken completely by surprise by the announcement. 2 … Useful english dictionary
catch sb by surprise — catch sb off guard/by surprise ► to surprise someone and cause difficulty for them: »A lot of taxpayers will be caught off guard by their new tax liability Main Entry: ↑catch … Financial and business terms
catch someone napping — the teacher had warned us to be ever prepared, but the unannounced test caught most of us napping Syn: catch off guard, catch unawares, surprise, take by surprise, catch out, find unprepared; informal catch someone with their pants down … Thesaurus of popular words
