blindsided

American  

[blahynd-sahy-did] / ˈblaɪndˌsaɪ dɪd /

adjective

1. Sports. tackled, hit, or attacked by an opponent on the blind side, out of the player’s field of vision.

   The blindsided offensive lineman was taken down by the defensive tackle coming around the other way.

2. attacked critically or taken by surprise where one is vulnerable, uninformed or unprepared, etc..

   Told by a cryptic university official that his keynote address was being canceled “for political reasons,” the blindsided philanthropist was left searching for answers.

3. (of such an attack, tackle, etc.) delivered from the blind side, unexpectedly, or in a way that exposes or takes advantage of a vulnerability.

   A staff meeting is no place for a blindsided assault on an administrator.

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verb

1. the simple past tense and past participle of blindside.

Etymology

Origin of blindsided

First recorded in 1985–90; blindside + -ed ² ( def. ) for the adjective senses; blindside + -ed ¹ ( def. ) for the verb sense

Example Sentences

Tolly and Audrey tell the BBC it was a challenging period and Milena's decision left them "blindsided".

From BBC • Mar. 24, 2026

“Gays and lesbians have a history of being blindsided, and you don’t want to become part of that narrative. Give me a week or two to reach out to the community.”

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 24, 2026

That gap is why many couples feel blindsided.

From MarketWatch • Feb. 20, 2026

But when he started mentioning it to other people, he realized they were about to be totally blindsided by an event of epic proportions.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 7, 2026

In two moves, the ablutionist blindsided the careless pawn and removed it from the field.

From "The Many Assassinations of Samir, the Seller of Dreams" by Daniel Nayeri