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.
Scientists have, for the first time, clearly captured a subduction zone in the act of breaking apart.
From Science Daily ● Apr. 29, 2026
Meanwhile, locals are considering taking it in turns to keep a lookout in a bid to catch the fly-tipper in the act.
From BBC ● Mar. 27, 2026
A friend’s parent calls him “Turbo,” and he was doing all kinds of turbo things when the cameras caught him in the act.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 18, 2026
Lungi Ngidi got in the act in his first over when Brandon King on 21 edged to De Kock and two balls later Roston Chase chopped on.
From Barron's ● Feb. 26, 2026
And it was easy enough, provided that you could avoid being caught in the act.
From "1984" by George Orwell
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.
