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

As an artificial-intelligence researcher with a specialty in videogames, Togelius is caught in the middle of what he calls “an ongoing culture war” between his passions.

From MarketWatch • May 23, 2026

Companies like Hutchison with critical assets in Latin America—or those with infrastructure projects still in the planning phases—could get caught in the middle.

From Barron's • Jan. 30, 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

The film is essentially a three-hander, Teddy going to harrowing extremes to force Michelle to confess, with poor, loyal Don caught in the middle.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 5, 2026

If it’s not, her family will be caught in the middle of another citywide battle for control.

From "Allegiant" by Veronica Roth