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
But time and again, it has gotten caught in the act.
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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
She was imprisoned for six months in 1923, having been caught in the act of mailing the offending items.
—Anna Mundow, WSJ, 15 Dec. 2023
Some preserved incredible details: spiders sitting on webs, birds brooding eggs and even two frogs caught in the act of mating.
—Daniel T. Ksepka, Scientific American, 1 Dec. 2023
See all Example Sentences for 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
She was imprisoned for six months in 1923, having been caught in the act of mailing the offending items.
—Anna Mundow, WSJ, 15 Dec. 2023
Some preserved incredible details: spiders sitting on webs, birds brooding eggs and even two frogs caught in the act of mating.
—Daniel T. Ksepka, Scientific American, 1 Dec. 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 26 Jul. 2024.
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