catch/take someone or something by surprise

catch/take someone or something 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 : to attack, capture, or approach (someone or something) without warning

The enemy troops took us completely by surprise.

Photographers caught the couple by surprise as they were leaving a restaurant.

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Main Entry:surprise

Useful english dictionary. 2012.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • 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

  • take someone off guard — catch/take (someone) off guard to surprise someone by doing or saying something they were not expecting. One of the larger airlines caught its rivals off guard yesterday by suddenly announcing a cut in fares. When they asked me to babysit, I was… …   New idioms dictionary

  • catch someone off guard — catch/take (someone) off guard to surprise someone by doing or saying something they were not expecting. One of the larger airlines caught its rivals off guard yesterday by suddenly announcing a cut in fares. When they asked me to babysit, I was… …   New idioms dictionary

  • catch off guard — catch/take (someone) off guard to surprise someone by doing or saying something they were not expecting. One of the larger airlines caught its rivals off guard yesterday by suddenly announcing a cut in fares. When they asked me to babysit, I was… …   New idioms dictionary

  • take off guard — catch/take (someone) off guard to surprise someone by doing or saying something they were not expecting. One of the larger airlines caught its rivals off guard yesterday by suddenly announcing a cut in fares. When they asked me to babysit, I was… …   New idioms dictionary

  • catch — catch1 W1S1 [kætʃ] v past tense and past participle caught [ko:t US ko:t] ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ 1¦(take and hold)¦ 2¦(find/stop somebody)¦ 3¦(see somebody doing something)¦ 4¦(illness)¦ 5 catch somebody by surprise/catch somebody off guard 6 catch somebody… …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • surprise — sur|prise1 W2S3 [səˈpraız US sər ] n ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ 1¦(event)¦ 2¦(feeling)¦ 3 take/catch somebody by surprise 4 take somebody/something by surprise 5¦(gift/party etc)¦ 6 surprise guest/visitor etc 7 surprise! 8 9¦(method)¦ ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ [ …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • catch — catch1 [ kætʃ ] (past tense and past participle caught [ kɔt ] ) verb *** ▸ 1 stop and hold something/someone ▸ 2 stop someone escaping ▸ 3 find and arrest ▸ 4 (hunt and) stop animal ▸ 5 get on public vehicle ▸ 6 discover someone doing something… …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

  • catch — catchable, adj. /kach/, v., caught, catching, n., adj. v.t. 1. to seize or capture, esp. after pursuit: to catch a criminal; to catch a runaway horse. 2. to trap or ensnare: to catch a fish. 3. to intercept and seize; take and hold (something… …   Universalium

  • catch — [[t]kæ̱tʃ[/t]] ♦♦ catches, catching, caught 1) VERB If you catch a person or animal, you capture them after chasing them, or by using a trap, net, or other device. [V n] Police say they are confident of catching the gunman... [V n] Where did you… …   English dictionary

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