English Reference
Idiom idiom

bang to rights


Red-handed, (caught) in the act.

Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.


SIMPLE

The police caught the thief bang to rights.

CONTEXTUAL

The manager walked into the office and caught the employee stealing supplies bang to rights.

COMPLEX

Having been caught bang to rights by the security cameras, the suspect had no choice but to confess to the crime.


From a reinterpretation of *bang*, meaning completely, as *bang* in the sense of handling an object noisily or violently.


Related idioms8entries
  1. 01

    all rights reserved

    The copyright holder of a creative work reserves all copyright-related rights, typically including the right to publish the work, to make derivative works of it, to distribute it, to make profit from it, to license a number of these rights to other people, and to forbid these uses by any unauthorized people, thus being entitled to take legal action against infringement.

  2. 02

    bang a uey

    To make a U-turn while driving a vehicle.

  3. 03

    bang away

    to strike or hit repeatedly

  4. 04

    bang down the door

    To present oneself as a strong candidate for a role or achievement, explicitly or implicitly.

  5. 05

    bang for the buck

    Efficiency; cost-effectiveness; value.

  6. 06

    bang one's head against a brick wall

    To waste effort on a futile project.

  7. 07

    bang out

    To do (something) quickly, in a slipshod, or unprofessional manner, especially performing or composing music or a piece of writing.

  8. 08

    bang some heads together

    Attempt to get results from a previously ineffectual or argumentative group, typically by coercion or force.

Last updated August 10, 2026