catch someone napping

verb

To take advantage of someone's inattention.

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Meanings

verbcatch someone napping (third-person singular simple present catches someone napping, present participle catching someone napping, simple past and past participle caught someone napping)

present singular third person catches someone napping · participle present catching someone napping · participle past caught someone napping · past caught someone napping

  1. idiomaticinformalTo take advantage of someone's inattention.

    Wigan keeper Ali Al Habsi was forced to deny Stewart Downing and Bent in quick succession, and again got down well to deny Bent after a Young free-kick had caught Steven Caldwell napping.

    2011 January 25, Les Roopanarine, “Wigan 1 - 2 Aston Villa”, in BBC
Cite this entry
APA

catch someone napping. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/catch%20someone%20napping

MLA

“catch someone napping.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/catch%20someone%20napping. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “catch someone napping,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/catch%20someone%20napping.

Source: catch someone napping on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.