1 B1 idiomatic neutral
To cause someone to make a mistake, especially by asking a difficult or trick question.
"The interviewer tried to trip up the candidate with a question about a gap in her résumé."
separable
trip up
B1 neutral separable transitive/intransitive
To cause someone to make a mistake, or to make a mistake yourself; also to physically cause someone to stumble.
In plain English
To trick someone into making a mistake, or to make a mistake yourself because of a tricky problem.
What does "trip up" mean?
3 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 B1 idiomatic neutral
To make a mistake yourself, especially an unexpected one caused by a difficulty you didn't see coming.
"She was doing well in the test but tripped up on the last question."
inseparable
3 B1 neutral
To cause someone to physically stumble or fall by catching their feet.
"The defender tripped up the striker just inside the penalty area."
separable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To cause someone to stumble by catching their feet.
Actually means
To trick someone into making a mistake, or to make a mistake yourself because of a tricky problem.
Usage tip
The transitive sense ('she tripped me up') is common in exam and interview contexts. The intransitive sense ('I tripped up') implies making an unexpected mistake. Also used physically, but the figurative use is more frequent in contemporary English.
Words that pair with "trip up"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
question mistake exam answer detail interviewer
How to conjugate "trip up"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
trip up
I/you/we/they
3rd person
trips up
he/she/it
Past simple
triped up
yesterday
Past participle
triped up
have + pp
-ing form
triping up
continuous
Hear "trip up" in the wild
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Other ways to say "trip up"
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