wrong-footed
Thrown off balance
Wrong-footed means caught off balance or unprepared, from the sports sense of having one's weight on the wrong foot when needing to move.
To wrong-foot someone is to catch them at a disadvantage or force them into an awkward position: The unexpected question wrong-footed the candidate.
British usage favors the hyphen; American English often drops it.
Shocked into momentary confusion
- unpreparedLacking readiness beforehand
- blindsidedSurprised by unforeseen impact
- disorientedLacking sense of direction
- flusteredNervously upset and confused
rattled · thrown · disconcerted · nonplussed · confounded · bewildered · stunned · startled
Defeated through superior tactics
- deceivedMisled into false belief
- trickedMisled by cunning
- misledCaused to believe falsely
- dupedDeceived into believing
outsmarted · outwitted · ambushed · feinted · bluffed · misdirected · suckered · trapped
Gear or takedown
- defenderOne who guards another
- strikerOne who hits targets
- goalkeeperNet-defending player
- feintDeceptive mock attack
nutmeg · dribble · dummy · stepover · juke · beaten · one-on-one · attacker
Lacking readiness beforehand
- embarrassedSelf-consciously uncomfortable
- exposedOut in open
- caught outExposed in wrongdoing
- backfootedDefensively positioned unexpectedly
undermined · outflanked · challenged · cornered · criticized · questioned · ambushed · disadvantaged
taken aback
Shocked into momentary confusion
- unpreparedLacking readiness beforehand
- blindsidedSurprised by unforeseen impact
- disorientedLacking sense of direction
flustered · rattled · thrown · disconcerted · nonplussed · confounded · bewildered · stunned · startled · unsettled
outmaneuvered
Defeated through superior tactics
duped · outsmarted · outwitted · ambushed · feinted · bluffed · misdirected · suckered · trapped · baited
tackle
Gear or takedown
- defenderOne who guards another
- strikerOne who hits targets
- goalkeeperNet-defending player
feint · nutmeg · dribble · dummy · stepover · juke · beaten · one-on-one · attacker · slip
unprepared
Lacking readiness beforehand
- embarrassedSelf-consciously uncomfortable
- exposedOut in open
- caught outExposed in wrongdoing
backfooted · undermined · outflanked · challenged · cornered · criticized · questioned · ambushed · disadvantaged · pressured
- ___-footed wordsflat-footed, sure-footed, web-footed, heavy-footed, fleet-footed
- uneasyanxious, nervous, jittery, edgy, tense
- unreadyunprepared, ill-prepared, ill-equipped, unready, not ready
wrong-footedprepared
Made ready beforehand
ready · poised · sure-footed · balanced · set
wrong-footedin control
Managing with authority
ahead of the game · one step ahead · on the front foot · in the driver's seat · dominant