Catch napping
Channel: English Unpacked
Date: 22/04/2024

The idiom "catch napping" means to surprise or catch someone off guard, often when they are not paying attention or are unprepared for a situation. It is used to describe a situation where someone is caught by surprise and is unable to respond quickly or effectively.
Here are a few examples to help illustrate the usage of this idiom:
1. Example: During the meeting, Sarah's boss asked her a question about the project that she had not been paying attention to. She was caught napping and struggled to come up with a coherent answer.
2. Example: The burglar entered the house silently, hoping to catch the family napping. However, the dog started barking, alerting the homeowners and preventing the burglary.
3. Example: The opposing team scored a goal because the goalkeeper was caught napping and failed to react in time.
4. Example: John thought he knew all the answers for the quiz, but he was caught napping when a question he hadn't studied for came up.
5. Example: The company's competitor launched a surprise marketing campaign, catching them napping and causing them to lose a significant portion of their market share.
In all these examples, the idiom "catch napping" is used to describe situations where someone is taken by surprise or caught off guard, leading to unfavorable outcomes.