thrown 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.

He had told the committee he had been under emotional stress at the time and was "completely thrown off guard and discombobulated" when he discovered leaks about the report's findings were circulating on the internet.

From BBC • Jan. 13, 2022

Evie: No. No. Because I wouldn’t want them to be thrown off guard, like I was.

From Slate • Oct. 12, 2019

Even if they’re willing to agree to it now, there seems to be a consensus that both South Korea and the Pentagon were thrown off guard by the announcement.

From Slate • Jun. 17, 2018

Rubio was anything but thrown off guard by the questioning of his tone – he launched instead into a response that, at nearly six minutes, sounded like a condensed speech of its own.

From The Guardian • Nov. 25, 2015

This is so much like what a family would say, a mother or an aunt, that I’m thrown off guard.

From "Cat's Eye" by Margaret Atwood