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caught up in the moment

American  

idiom

  1. having one's attention so absorbed by immediate events or circumstances as to become overcome by emotion, prone to errors of judgment, or unable to notice or attend to other things.

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

At a packed wedding reception, where a couple is making the rounds and guests are caught up in the moment, slipping out unnoticed isn’t just acceptable—it might be the most polite option.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 13, 2026

"I have no answer for it other than I'm an idiot, stupid, got caught up in the moment," says Amy Hodgkinson-Hedgecox.

From BBC • Aug. 4, 2025

Meanwhile, the cards flicker past and people caught up in the moment get fleeced.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 5, 2023

Do you feel like any of the personal foul penalties have been a case of you getting caught up in the moment too much?

From Seattle Times • Oct. 18, 2023

Mamma, caught up in the moment, stood to meet her glare.

From "When Dimple Met Rishi" by Sandhya Menon

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.