caught red-handed

idiomatic adjective phrase

Pronunciation: kɔːt rɛdˈhændɪd

Definition

Discovered in the act of committing a crime or doing something wrong, with physical evidence still visible.

Examples

• He was caught red-handed stealing cookies from the jar when his mother walked into the kitchen.

• The employee was caught red-handed deleting sensitive files from the company server.

• Police caught the vandals red-handed as they were spray-painting the historic monument.

Synonyms of caught red-handed

Words with a similar meaning to caught red-handed:

• in the act
• flagrante delicto

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