Daily life
catch someone out
leave someone unprepared
To surprise someone with a problem or situation that they are not prepared for.
Hear it in real life
Why were you late for work?
The road closure caught me out.
The sudden rain caught us out because we had left our umbrellas at home.
The mistake everyone makes
Not: The unexpected question caught me unready.
Say: The unexpected question caught me out.
Use "catch someone out" when an unexpected situation exposes that they are not ready.
Build it
How it fits in a sentence.
catch someone out; caught someone out
Your turn: say it out loud
The sudden rain caught us out because we had left our umbrellas at home.
Say it out loud two or three times, until it feels like yours.
catch someone out
leave someone unprepared
“The sudden rain caught us out because we had left our umbrellas at home.”
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