in the act (of doing something)
idiom
: in the process of doing something
When they arrived, I was just in the act of starting to make dinner.
Examples of in the act (of doing something) in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Cognitive Restructuring: Rewiring Executive Thinking High-performing leaders learn to catch their brains in the act of stereotyping.
—
Anna Barnhill, Forbes.com, 13 Aug. 2025
Looming over Iran’s decision is the threat of Israeli espionage and air power, potentially catching Tehran in the act of rushing to produce a bomb.
—Dan De Luce, NBC news, 28 June 2025
His wife caught him in the act at 2:30 in the morning.
—Brad Schmitt, The Tennessean, 2 Aug. 2025
Instead of just trying to catch cheaters in the act with blood or urine tests, the biological passport program takes regular tests from athletes in order to establish their personal normal values.
—Alex Hutchinson, Outside Online, 25 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for in the act (of doing something)
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Anna Barnhill, Forbes.com, 13 Aug. 2025
Looming over Iran’s decision is the threat of Israeli espionage and air power, potentially catching Tehran in the act of rushing to produce a bomb.
—Dan De Luce, NBC news, 28 June 2025
His wife caught him in the act at 2:30 in the morning.
—Brad Schmitt, The Tennessean, 2 Aug. 2025
Instead of just trying to catch cheaters in the act with blood or urine tests, the biological passport program takes regular tests from athletes in order to establish their personal normal values.
—Alex Hutchinson, Outside Online, 25 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for in the act (of doing something)
Cite this Entry
“In the act (of doing something).” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/in%20the%20act%20%28of%20doing%20something%29. Accessed 2 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share