off guard

Idioms and Phrases

Also, off one's guard . Not watchful, easily surprised. It is often put as catch (or be caught) off guard , meaning “take (or be taken) by surprise.” For example, The securities analyst was caught off guard by that financial report , or With any luck the boss will be off guard when I come in late . [Late 1600s] The antonym, on guard or on one's guard , meaning “watchful or prepared, especially to defend oneself,” was first recorded in 1577. For example, In this crowd we must be on guard against pickpockets , or I'm always on my guard when I'm asked how I voted .

Example Sentences

While Trump had long been expected to pick an "outsider" for the role of national intelligence director, some elected officials were still caught off-guard by the selection of someone who has no formal intelligence experience.

From Salon

With one supervisor seat vacant and Perez gone, the situation caught Kern County Chairman David Couch off-guard.

From Los Angeles Times

A kick through caught the defence off-guard and simple hands put Matsumura over in the corner.

From BBC

Shir, like many others, has reluctantly applied for a gun licence, never wanting to be caught off-guard again.

From BBC

“German brands, and VW in particular, have been caught off-guard by the pace of change in China” he explains.

From BBC