catch somebody out phrasal verb (see also catch)

1. to make someone make a mistake, especially deliberately and in order to prove that they are lying:
The interviewer may try to catch you out.

2. if something unexpected catches you out, it puts you in a difficult situation because you were not expecting it or not fully prepared for it:
Even the best whitewater rafters get caught out by the fierce rapids here.

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲