caught in the middle

Idioms  

1. Also, caught in the cross-fire. Between two opposing sides, as in The writers are often caught in the middle between editor and publisher, who are political opponents, or When parents don't get along, the children are often caught in the cross-fire. Long used in military situations, these terms began to be used figuratively in the second half of the 1800s.

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Example Sentences

With two young children and aging relatives, Kelly, who’s 45, says he is caught in the middle.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 13, 2026

For now, Warsh’s nomination is caught in the middle of that fight.

From Barron's • Mar. 11, 2026

But he cautioned that court challenges take time — time in which “untold damage” can be done to erode public trust and to the officials caught in the middle.

From Salon • Feb. 5, 2026

TSMC—Taiwan’s 2330 -1.17%decrease; red down pointing triangle biggest company and a critical manufacturer for U.S. tech giants like Nvidia and Apple—is caught in the middle of a long-awaited trade deal between Taiwan and the U.S.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 15, 2026

And some of them got caught in the middle of wrong lives.

From "The Perks of Being a Wallflower" by Stephen Chbosky