off-guard

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.

An American physician who is in Congo as part of a Christian mission has tested positive for a rare strain of Ebola virus in an outbreak that has caught global health officials off guard.

From MarketWatch • May 18, 2026

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

I'll miss our chats and I'll miss catching him off guard and making him chortle.

From BBC • Apr. 15, 2026

But every so often, a repair comes along that is so expensive it catches even the most seasoned homeowner off guard.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 8, 2026

I’ve always known this—lived by it, even—but in this particular instance, I was caught woefully off guard.

From "Dry" by Neal Shusterman and Jarrod Shusterman