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.