Idiom
bang to rights
Meanings
Clearly guilty because there is obvious evidence or they were caught doing it.
Definition
Caught with clear proof of wrongdoing, so there is no doubt about guilt.
"Bang to rights" means someone has been caught in the act or found with strong evidence that proves they did something wrong or illegal. It suggests the case is clear and undeniable. It is especially common in British English and often used in informal speech and news reporting.
Examples
- The police arrived and found him bang to rights with the stolen bike.
- She was bang to rights on CCTV, taking the cash from the drawer.
- They thought they could deny it, but the audit caught them bang to rights.
- I’ve got you bang to rights—you left your fingerprints on the window.
- He was bang to rights when his messages were read out in court.
Common mistake
Learners often say "bang to right" or use it to mean "exactly correct" instead of "clearly guilty."
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More idiom (adjective phrase)s
- cheap as chips Very cheap; costing very little money.
- chuffed to bits Very pleased and proud about something.
- easy as pie Used to say that something is very easy to do or understand.
- right as rain Completely well again, or in perfect condition.
- thick as two short planks Extremely stupid or slow to understand.