in the course of

Idioms  

1. Also, during the course of. In the process or progress of, as in the famous phrase from the Declaration of Independence (1776), “When in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands ...” These phrases have been criticized as needlessly wordy (in or during alone are adequate), but they have an emphatic rhythm that keeps them alive. [Mid-1600s]

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

in the course of

They were simply following other orders, though they also employed methods that had been encouraged in the course of their training.

From Slate ● Sep. 15, 2026

According to a 2025 Amnesty International report, there were 492 death sentences in the course of the year, 23 of whom were executed, external.

From BBC ● Sep. 5, 2026

“You’ll see a lot of different scenarios in the course of your savings. It’s best not to make changes on short-term events,” Shamrell said.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 3, 2026

Her spine and hamstring were injured in the course of the chase, the district attorney’s office said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 27, 2026

But in the course of this showing off, one of his buddies fell to the ground and ended up scraped and scratched.

From "While the World Watched: A Birmingham Bombing Survivor Comes of Age during the Civil Rights Movement" by Carolyn Maull McKinstry