To trip up (or trip someone up) is an English phrasal verb that functions both physically and figuratively:
- Figurative (Most Common): To make a mistake, or to intentionally cause someone to fail, stumble, or make an error (especially in a test, interview, speech, or legal proceeding).
- Physical: To physically catch your foot on something and stumble, or to intentionally use your foot or an obstacle to cause someone else to lose their balance and fall.
Because “trip up” can be either transitive (“The trick question tripped me up”) or intransitive (“I always trip up on these grammar rules”), it is one of the most versatile “trip” phrasal verbs in everyday speech.
Literal vs. Figurative Usage & Examples
Causing Someone Else to Make an Error (Transitive)
When used with an object, trip up means to trap, confuse, or expose someone’s mistake:
- “The prosecutor tried to trip up the witness during cross-examination.”
- “Be careful with question number five—it is designed to trip you up.”
Making an Unintentional Mistake (Intransitive)
When used without a direct object, it means to stumble or falter personally:
- “Even native speakers occasionally trip up on complex verb tenses.”
- “The candidate was doing great until he tripped up on the budget question.”
Physical Stumbling or Tripping Someone
- “The defender got a penalty for trying to trip up the forward near the goal line.”
- “Watch your step on those stairs—it is easy to trip up if you aren’t paying attention.”
Movie and Television Citations
Screenwriters frequently use “trip up” during police interrogations, courtrooms, or competitive situations where one character tries to catch another in a lie or mistake:
- The Social Network (2010): Highlighting legal depositions where lawyers try to expose inconsistencies: “You don’t need to try and trip me up, counsel.”
- Sherlock (Season 2): Demonstrating intellectual sparring where one character searches for a small error: “I was waiting for you to trip up, but you didn’t.”
- Suits (Season 3): Showing cross-examination tactics in court: “He’s trying to trip up your memory so the jury thinks you’re lying.”