off guard

Having gone on record as opposing Omega Company's being given the Zenobia assignment, he was caught completely off guard by this development.

Phule me twice

          Walznik was still absorbing “our friend” and was caught off guard by the sudden switch to Polish.

Lord Conrads Crusade

If a celebrity is suddenly rushed to the hospital or is engaging in risky behavior, like signing up for sky-surfing lessons, the news director will assign someone to write an obituary so the station won’t be caught off guard should the star die.

Race You to the Fountain of Youth

"I wonder if Master Yoda, who only knows lightsabertechnique, would have been caught off guard like that.

The Cat is a Metaphor

Hunched over her handle bars, the Hawaiian sun beating down on her back, she was caught off guard by a strong side gust.

The Grace to Race

Caught off guard or not, though, it made her furious with herself.

Men Don't Leave Me

He may have been caught off guard by his enemy’s unexpected shift to the east, but he was fully able to adapt—a testament both to Darius and the skill of the Persian military commanders.

Alexander the Great

And again, when you catch a fellow off guard who seemed all right the first time, you may find that he deaconed himself for your benefit, and that all the big strawberries were on top.

Old Gorgon Graham

Whoever he is — say ‘he’ for argument’s sake — he thinks the Captain’s let the cat out of the bag about you coming up here and that you’d be off guard and wide-open to another welt on the napper?

Died in the Wool