# catch someone napping

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/catch-someone-napping
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

To take advantage of someone's inattention.

## Examples

- The thief caught the guard napping and stole the bag.
- The rival company launched their product early, catching our marketing team napping during the holiday break.
- The sudden shift in market trends caught the unprepared investors napping, leading to significant financial losses before they could adjust their strategy.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.