catch someone red-handed
/ˌkætʃ ˌsʌmwʌn ˌred ˈhændɪd/INFORMAL · B2
Meaning
to find someone while they are doing something wrong
Examples
- 1Dad caught me red-handed eating the birthday cake before the party.
- 2The teacher caught Ben red-handed copying his friend's homework.
- 3The neighbour's camera caught him red-handed as he climbed over our garden fence.
- 4Did the teacher really catch Omar red-handed with his phone during the exam?
- 5If the manager catches you red-handed taking extra breaks, you could lose your job.
Grammar
catch is irregular: caught, caught. someone is one word, such as him, us or a name. The passive be caught red-handed is also common.
More idioms about colours
All 20 idioms and the topic quiz →in black and whitewritten down, so it is officiala red flaga sign that something may be wrong or dangerousroll out the red carpetto welcome a guest in a very special waytickled pinkvery pleasedhave green fingersto be good at making plants growas white as a sheetvery pale because of shock, fear or illness
English Idioms400 idioms in 20 topics — with reviews that keep them from fading
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