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caught off guard

ADJECTIVE
unprepared
Synonyms
STRONGEST
unaware vulnerable
WEAK
ad-lib ill-considered impromptu improvised napping not prepared off the cuff off the top of one's head offhand played by ear spontaneous surprised taken off guard unexpected unplanned unready unrehearsed unschooled unskilled untrained winged

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Investors were caught off guard by the yield surge, which suggests that the market had become a little complacent about inflation despite hot consumer and wholesale price readings this week.

From Barron's • May 15, 2026

Years before that, the Lego Group was caught off guard by Polish artist Zbigniew Libera’s 1996 installation, “LEGO Concentration Camp.”

From Salon • Apr. 26, 2026

He said residents were "completely caught off guard" on Sunday morning as news of El Mencho's capture, and the following unrest, broke.

From BBC • Feb. 23, 2026

He said that KKR isn’t caught off guard by the prospect of AI upending its software investments.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 5, 2026

“But of course there are some others that were caught off guard by this water situation.”

From "Dry" by Neal Shusterman and Jarrod Shusterman

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