catch sb out
informal— phrasal verb with catch uk/kætʃ/us/kætʃ/verb caught, caught
(SHOW WRONG)
to show that someone is doing wrong:
I suspected he wasn't telling me the truth, and one day I caught him out when I found some letters he'd written.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Proving and disproving
- actions speak louder than words idiom
- attest
- authenticate
- back sb up
- bear witness (to sth) idiom
- belie
- catch
- colour
- documentary
- evidence
- explode
- explosion
- give the lie to sth idiom
- proof
- stick
- testament
- the acid test
- the burden of proof idiom
- undocumented
- unsubstantiated
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(TRICK)
to trick someone into making a mistake:
The examiner will try to catch you out, so stay calm and think carefully before you speak.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Plotting & trapping
- be in league with sb idiom
- cahoots
- chicanery
- cloak-and-dagger
- collude
- conspire
- entrap
- entrapment
- hatch
- have a card up your sleeve idiom
- honey trap
- plot
- plotter
- put-up job
- scheme
- set-up
- snare
- sting
- stratagem
- trap
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(CAUSE DIFFICULTY)
to put someone in a difficult situation:
A lot of people were caught out by the sudden change in the weather.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Causing difficulties for oneself or others
- be a tall order idiom
- be asking for trouble idiom
- be your own worst enemy idiom
- bugger
- bugger sb about
- dig
- lay
- like pulling teeth idiom
- make a rod for your own back idiom
- make heavy weather of sth idiom
- overburden
- pitchfork sb into sth
- pose
- shoot
- store
- store sth up
- store up trouble/problems idiom
- subject sb/sth to sth
- suicidal
- wrong-foot
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