catch out

Verb

catch out (third-person singular simple present catches out, present participle catching out, simple past and past participle caught out)

1. (transitive) To discover or expose as fake, insincere, or inaccurate.
   • Bishop Manning has his enemies, but those enemies have hardly ever caught him out on a point of theology or canon law.1939 October 23, “Religion: Discordant Concordat”, in Time
2. (transitive) To take (someone) by surprise.
   • However, Colombia broke the deadlock, Leicy Santos toying with Rachel Daly after collecting Caicedo’s pass, before sweeping a dipping effort over a caught-out Mary Earps. It was a luscious finish and the crowd enjoyed it.2023 August 12, Suzanne Wrack, “England hit back to beat Colombia and set up World Cup semi with Australia”, in The Guardian
3. (transitive) To put a batsman out by catching the batted ball before it touches the ground.
4. (US, dated, intransitive, slang) To leave an area by jumping on a train; to ride the rails away.
5. (slang, transitive) To catch (someone); to detect an error or blunder on (someone's) part.
   • The police caught me out on a lie.