blindside

noun

1. A driver's field of blindness around an automobile; the side areas behind the driver.
2. A tram/train driver's field of blindness around a tram (trolley/streetcar) or a train; the side areas behind the tram/train driver.
3. (figuratively)A person's weak point.
4. The space on the side of the pitch with the shorter distance between the breakdown/set piece and the touchline; compare openside.

   “Showing no ill-effects from her lay-off, the full-back had already beaten three defenders on a jagging kick return, when she was sprung down the blindside a minute later.”

5. The blindside flanker, a position in rugby union, usually number 6.

   “The blindside packs down at the scrum on the blindside.”

   “However, after an inside pass from Moody to Tom Croft and a surge from the England blind-side, number eight James Haskell was eventually pinged from in front of the posts for not releasing.”

verb

1. (transitive)To attack (a person) on his or her blind side.

   “The robbers crept out of the forest and blindsided the traveller.”

   “What isn't so gimmicky is the Aggro System, where you draw fire onto yourself by acting aggressive, while your partner sneaks off blindsiding distracted enemies. Aggro depends on how big your current weapon is and how often you act aggressive.”

2. (figuratively, informal, transitive)To catch off guard; to take by surprise.

   “He had completed his plan to develop a new office building, but was blindsided by the sudden drop in real estate values.”

   “Mr. Hassan offered Ms. Huynh $20 million in Google stock — less than 10 percent of his shares — and half of three Bay Area real estate properties: houses in Palo Alto and San Francisco, and a commercial building in Menlo Park. She felt blindsided and hurt. She refused.”

   “But when they did arrive at 9am on Thursday, they were still able to blindside the Chelsea hierarchy. On Wednesday, they had certainly not anticipated the imposition of them the following morning.”

   “The announcement blindsided employees, many of whom learned of the sudden ouster from an internal announcement and the company’s public facing blog.”