wrong-foot

verb

ˈrȯŋ-ˌfu̇t How to pronounce wrong-foot (audio)
wrong-footed; wrong-footing; wrong-foots

transitive verb

chiefly British
: to cause (someone, such as an opponent in soccer or tennis) to lean into or step with the wrong foot
broadly : to disrupt the equilibrium of
… a speed and flexibility that repeatedly wrong-footed his enemies. —Anthony Lloyd

Examples of wrong-foot in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
And Alex is very good at wrong-footing people. — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 13 Nov. 2025 Investors wary of being wrong-footed by twists and turns in the Iran war are trading stocks at a record intensity, one market measure shows. — Joel Leon, Bloomberg, 7 Apr. 2026 But Brunson, as usual, was sublime, wrong-footing the 76ers over and over with his staccato moves and magnetized shots. — Louisa Thomas, New Yorker, 10 May 2026 Castle, in fact, has become one of the league’s heaviest practitioners of the Euro stop, routinely pausing mid-move to wrong-foot defenders. — John Hollinger, The Athletic, 21 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for wrong-foot

Word History

First Known Use

1928, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of wrong-foot was in 1928

Rhymes for wrong-foot

See All Rhymes for wrong-foot

Browse Nearby Words

wrong font
wrong-foot
wrongful
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Wrong-foot.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wrong-foot. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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