red-handed

[red-han-did] / ˈrɛdˈhæn dɪd /

ADJECTIVE

caught in the act

Synonyms

WEAK

blatantly guilty in a compromising position openly

ADJECTIVE

in the act of committing crime

Synonyms

WEAK

blatantly caught in flagrante delicto openly

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Mark Joseph Stern: Well, the Justice Department already got caught red-handed lying in this case once before.

From Slate • Nov. 15, 2025

The Russian authorities say the American was "caught red-handed" with "classified information".

From BBC • Mar. 28, 2024

PUTIN’S QUOTE: “He was caught red-handed when he was secretly getting classified information.”

From Seattle Times • Feb. 9, 2024

“Even when he is literally caught red-handed, he won’t want to admit it.”

From New York Times • Feb. 2, 2024

He was caught red-handed, holding the chewed-up two dollars in his front legs.

From "The Cricket in Times Square" by George Selden