in the act
Idioms-
In the process of doing something. For example, The police caught the robber in the act , or I was in the act of closing the window . [Second half of 1600s]
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Performing sexual intercourse, as in Her father caught them in the act . [Late 1500s]
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.
Flock cameras are installed by police departments, homeowners' associations and businesses, ostensibly to catch criminals in the act.
From Barron's ● Aug. 9, 2026
"But we need a wider police presence... to get hold of these people as they're in the act."
From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026
I asked the White House to identify any language in the act or in its implementation that Trump could have been citing.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 21, 2026
Oz Pearlman, the celebrity mentalist who was set to perform at the dinner, said he is hoping for a redo—and to persuade Trump to participate in the act.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 27, 2026
Anna and Mr. Archie got in the act, swinging a rake and a length of plastic pipe respectively, swatting Clock Watchers like giant bugs.
From "The Last Last-Day-of-Summer" by Lamar Giles
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.
