trip up phrasal verb (see also trip)

1. to make a mistake, or to force someone to make a mistake by tricking them:
On his latest album, Kowalski trips up attempting more modern songs.
trip somebody ↔ up
an attempt to trip up the Prime Minister on policy issues

2. to hit something with your foot so that you fall, or to make someone do this
trip somebody ↔ up
He chased the thief, tripped him up, and grabbed the camera.

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

trip up
trip (someone) up
to cause someone to make a mistake.
The lawyer used what he knew about her personality to trip her up in court.

I did fine on most of the test, but I tripped up on the last problem.

Etymology: based on the literal meaning of trip someone up (= to cause someone to fall)

[TahlilGaran] English Idioms Dictionary ▲

trip up
1. • trip up
to make a mistake
The teacher tripped up over the correct pronunciation of the man's name.

2. • trip up (someone)
to cause someone to fail, to cause someone to make a mistake
The news reporter tripped up the politician with his difficult question.

[TahlilGaran] English Idioms Dictionary ▲

trip up
v.
1. To make (someone) unsteady on the feet; cause to miss a step, stumble, or fall.
A root tripped Billy up while he was running in the woods, and he fell and hurt his ankle.
2. To cause (someone) to make a mistake.
The teacher asked tricky questions in the test to trip up students who were not alert.

[TahlilGaran] English Idioms Dictionary ▲

trip someone up
trip (someone) up
to cause someone to make a mistake.
The lawyer used what he knew about her personality to trip her up in court.

I did fine on most of the test, but I tripped up on the last problem.

Etymology: based on the literal meaning of trip someone up (= to cause someone to fall)

[TahlilGaran] English Idioms Dictionary ▲

trip up someone
• trip up (someone)
to cause someone to fail, to cause someone to make a mistake
The news reporter tripped up the politician with his difficult question.

[TahlilGaran] English Idioms Dictionary ▲