catch+by+surprise

  • 31catch someone on the hop — british informal phrase to surprise someone because you do something that they do not expect you to do Yesterday’s developments caught the government on the hop. Thesaurus: to make someone feel shocked or surprisedsynonym Main entry: hop …

    Useful english dictionary

  • 32catch somebody on the hop — catch sb on the ˈhop idiom (informal) to surprise sb by doing sth when they are not expecting it and not ready for it Main entry: ↑catchidiom …

    Useful english dictionary

  • 33catch on the hop —  Surprise …

    A concise dictionary of English slang

  • 34surprise — I (New American Roget s College Thesaurus) Unexpectedness Nouns surprise, nonexpectation, unexpectedness, the unforeseen, unforeseen contingency or circumstances, miscalculation, astonishment, wonder, thunderclap, turn, blow, shock, bolt from the …

    English dictionary for students

  • 35catch — Synonyms and related words: OD, abash, abduction, absorb, absorb the attention, accept, acquire, acquisition, allure, ambition, anchor, appreciate, apprehend, apprehension, arrest, arrestation, artful dodge, artifice, assimilate, astonishment,… …

    Moby Thesaurus

  • 36surprise — 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

  • 37catch — I (New American Roget s College Thesaurus) v. t. take, seize; overtake; land, net, hook; surprise, detect; snare, trap; capture, arrest, apprehend, nab (inf.); snatch. See restraint, deception, difficulty, hindrance. II (Roget s IV) n. 1.… …

    English dictionary for students

  • 38catch — 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

  • 39catch — 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

  • 40catch — [[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