Catch someone red-handed means to catch a person at the very moment they are stealing or doing something else wrong. The expression is used both seriously, in news about crimes, and jokingly, about small things at home. It sounds natural in conversation; in an essay, a neutral option is be caught committing a crime.
When would you say catch someone red-handed?
Write a sentence — we'll check that the expression fits the situation and suggest what to fix.
The check is taking longer than usual. Your feedback will appear here automatically.
catch + someone + red-handed (+ -ing); be caught red-handed (+ -ing)
- A shop assistant caught the man red-handed with three bottles of perfume in his bag.
- My mum caught me red-handed eating the cake she had baked for the guests.
- Two students were caught red-handed using their phones during the final exam.
What changed
First versionThe cashier caught him red-handed on stealing chocolate bars.
RevisionThe cashier caught him red-handed stealing chocolate bars.
The activity someone was caught doing comes straight after red-handed, in the -ing form, with no preposition. So there is only one correction: on was removed.
Red-handed only works if the person was caught at the very moment of doing something wrong. If the truth came out later, from cameras or receipts, use find out: The manager later found out that he had taken the money. The closest phrase in meaning to red-handed is catch someone in the act.
Your turn
The teacher turned round at the exact moment Max was copying his neighbour's answers, so she caught him ___.
Show the answer
red-handed — The teacher saw the copying at the exact moment it was happening, so she caught him red-handed. Red-faced means blushing with embarrassment: it could describe Max afterwards, but it does not work with caught in the sense of catching someone doing something.
Describe a time when someone was caught doing something they shouldn't: at home, at school or at work. Write who caught whom and what they were doing.
My dad caught my little brother red-handed playing video games at two in the morning.
Learn to use new words without mistakes
Write phrases with the words you are learning. LetsWords shows mistakes in usage and grammar, suggests corrections and explains them, and review helps the words stick.