red-handed

adverb or adjective

red-hand·​ed ˈred-ˈhan-dəd How to pronounce red-handed (audio)
: in the act of committing a crime or misdeed
caught red-handed

Examples of red-handed 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.
Meta caught about 135,000 of them sexualizing children red-handed. — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 1 Aug. 2025 And, last year, a cat was caught red-handed after coming home with the neighbor's chicken dinner in tow. — Alice Gibbs, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 July 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1819, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of red-handed was in 1819

Rhymes for red-handed

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Browse Nearby Words

Red Hand
red-handed
red-handed howler monkey
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Cite this Entry

“Red-handed.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/red-handed. Accessed 15 Aug. 2025.

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Kids Definition

red-handed

adverb or adjective
red-hand·​ed
ˈred-ˈhan-dəd
: in the act of doing something wrong

More from Merriam-Webster on red-handed

Nglish: Translation of red-handed for Spanish Speakers

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