caught in the act
idiom
: caught while doing something specified
He tried to rob a bank and was caught in the act.
Examples of caught in the act in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Nearly half of shoplifters (48%) have been caught in the act.
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Daniel De Visé, USA TODAY, 12 Aug. 2024
Kids often love discovering their elf caught in the act of holiday hijinks, such as hiding in the snack drawer.
—Apryl Duncan, Parents, 29 July 2024
But time and again, it has gotten caught in the act.
—Jacques E. C. Hymans, Foreign Affairs, 9 Dec. 2014
That loophole is needed so that the future can exert an overall pull on the present, without ever being caught in the act of doing it in any particular instance.
—Zeeya Merali, Discover Magazine, 18 Apr. 2023
See all Example Sentences for caught in the act 
Daniel De Visé, USA TODAY, 12 Aug. 2024
Kids often love discovering their elf caught in the act of holiday hijinks, such as hiding in the snack drawer.
—Apryl Duncan, Parents, 29 July 2024
But time and again, it has gotten caught in the act.
—Jacques E. C. Hymans, Foreign Affairs, 9 Dec. 2014
That loophole is needed so that the future can exert an overall pull on the present, without ever being caught in the act of doing it in any particular instance.
—Zeeya Merali, Discover Magazine, 18 Apr. 2023
See all Example Sentences for caught in the act
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'caught in the act.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near caught in the act
Cite this Entry
“Caught in the act.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/caught%20in%20the%20act. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.
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