ENGLISH
REFERENCE

walk in on

idiom
Meaning

To enter suddenly or unexpectedly while something is happening; to intrude or interrupt by entering.


Examples
SIMPLE

I did not mean to walk in on you.

CONTEXTUAL

I felt embarrassed when I accidentally walked in on my roommate while she was practicing her speech.

COMPLEX

The detective inadvertently walked in on the clandestine meeting, catching the suspects completely off guard in the middle of their discussion.

Anchors to
Related idioms8entries
  1. 01

    ball and Chalk

    [Cockney slang]walk

  2. 02

    cake walk

    Something extremely easy.

  3. 03

    cock of the walk

    A proud or conceited person.

  4. 04

    crawl before one walks

    To learn the basics before doing something at a more advanced level.

  5. 05

    in a walk

    Easily; without difficulty.

  6. 06

    learn to walk before one can run

    Before one can perform a complicated task, one has to learn how to perform more simple tasks.

  7. 07

    perp walk

    The intentional public display before news cameras of a person in police custody, especially someone famous or notorious, for the purpose of satisfying public interest, demonstrating the effectiveness of the authorities, or shaming the person.

  8. 08

    take a long walk on a short pier

    Used to tell someone to go away, or that their request will not be met.

Last updated April 17, 2026