caught up in the moment

American

idiom

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

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caught up in the moment

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

He was too exhausted, too caught up in the moment, to take it all in.

From Seattle Times ● May 17, 2024

“I thought you saw a young player who got caught up in the moment of competing,” Ansley said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 19, 2023

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

From "When Dimple Met Rishi" by Sandhya Menon

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