blindside

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "blindside" is correct and usable in written English. You can use it when referring to surprising someone in a negative way or catching them off guard. Example: "The sudden announcement of layoffs blindsided the employees." Alternative expressions include "take by surprise," "catch off guard," and "hit unexpectedly."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Encyclopedias

Sports Commentary

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

Niamh Briggs, the full-back who has been cursed with injury for much of the past year, is a dangerous runner and she landed a 40-metre penalty before the Ireland pack drove forwards from lineout and splintered the English defence, with the scrum-half Larissa Muldoon darting over on the blindside.

The Guardian - Sport

The ball was switched to the blindside and Luke Wallace slipped a pass to his fly-half who darted over by the posts.

The Guardian - Sport

In addition to the Brady Rule, the league passed four more safety rules: An offensive player may not use his helmet, forearm, or shoulder to deliver a blindside block (one that is delivered to someone who does not see it coming) to an opponent's head or neck.

Encyclopedia Britannica

The Wallabies, coming off three-point losses to both France and Ireland, have recalled Rob Horne on the wing  and selected Sean McMahon on the blindside flank to replace Luke Jones.

Independent

Those who believe Chris Robshaw's best chance of retaining his place in England's back row under the Eddie Jones regime in 2016 is to revert to the blindside flanker role in which he first made his name had the chance to see him as an orthodox  No 6 here, partly due to his club being without five injured loose forwards.

Independent

Had Wood been ruled out of the match and with James Haskell possibly needed at No 8, there had been suggestions that Sam Burgess would be switch from inside centre to blindside flanker – the position he has been playing in for club side Bath.

Independent

Bath head coach Mike Ford looked to be onto something when he moved Burgess to blindside flanker, a move that looked to suit the former rugby league star's physicality given his ability to break tackles and deliver them with equal ferocity.

Independent

Strokosch, who plays his club rugby on the blindside flank for Gloucester, continued: "No, that's not an issue.

Independent

The rugby league convert has already expressed his desire to return to Bath and continue his education as a blindside flanker, and Moody still believes that the 26-year-old can improve with time and go on to reach the highest echelons of the game that he was rather unfairly expected to reach this month.

Independent

It went out wide to Edinson Cavani while Suarez timed his run on Jagielka's blindside.

Independent

The Newport Gwent Dragons blindside missed the opening win over Ireland in Dublin but returned with a man-of-the-match display in the win over Scotland, before following that up with another Herculean effort in the championship-clinching victory over France last weekend.

Independent

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

In sports writing, use the term specifically to refer to a hit or move coming from outside a player's field of vision.

Common error

Do not use "blindside" to mean that someone is intentionally ignoring a problem. It specifically refers to the act of being hit by something unexpected, not the act of being 'blind' to a situation by choice.

Linguistic Context

The word "blindside" primarily functions as a transitive verb, meaning to hit or attack someone from an unexpected direction. According to Ludwig, it is also frequently used as a noun in specialized sports contexts (rugby and American football) to describe a specific area of the field or a player's position.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

65%

Sports Commentary

25%

Encyclopedias

10%

Less common in

Academic Research

5%

Science

3%

Social Media

2%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In conclusion, "blindside" is a high-impact term that effectively communicates the shock of the unexpected. Ludwig AI indicates that the word is grammatically robust and exceptionally common in professional media. Whether you are describing a literal hit on the rugby field or a metaphorical blow to a business plan, using "blindside" emphasizes that the recipient was caught completely unaware. To avoid repetitive writing, consider alternatives like "catch off guard" for softer contexts or "stun" for more emotional impact.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

catch off guard

More common in general conversation to describe situational surprise.

take by surprise

A standard idiomatic expression used for unexpected events.

surprise

The most generic and neutral base term for the experience.

stun

Emphasizes the momentary paralysis or shock caused by the surprise.

ambush

Suggests a more deliberate and potentially hostile intent behind the surprise.

shock

Focuses on the emotional reaction rather than the angle of the approach.

unaware

Usually used as 'caught unaware', focusing on the state of the subject.

floor

Informal term emphasizing that the person was completely overwhelmed by the news.

stagger

Highlights the disruptive impact a sudden event has on one's stability or plans.

startle

Describes a shorter, more immediate physical reaction to a surprise.

FAQs

How do I use "blindside" in a professional sentence?

In professional contexts, you can use it as a verb to describe unexpected setbacks, such as: "The sudden shift in interest rates threatened to "blindside" our quarterly projections."

What is the difference between "blindside" and "catch off guard"?

While both mean to surprise, ""blindside"" often implies a more forceful or damaging impact, whereas "catch off guard" can be used for harmless or even pleasant surprises.

Can "blindside" be used as a noun?

Yes, in sports like rugby, a ""blindside"" refers to the narrow side of the pitch or a specific position (the blindside flanker).

What can I say instead of "blindside" for a negative event?

Depending on the intensity, you might use "take by surprise", "ambush", or "stun" to convey a similar meaning.