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in the heat of

Idioms  
  1. In the most intense or active stage of some activity or condition. For example, One never knows how soldiers will behave in the heat of battle, or In the heat of the moment she accepted his proposal, or In the heat of the negotiations he forgot to call his wife. [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.

Words like “incompetent” can feel good in the heat of the moment, but they rarely help to resolve an impasse such as this.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 14, 2026

Strategic conceptions are ripe to be overhauled in the heat of crisis.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 17, 2026

But the statistics suggest it was not an unjustified decision in the heat of the moment.

From BBC • Mar. 3, 2026

"There is nothing about today, in the heat of the moment, where you are, in any form, in a cognitive state," he said.

From BBC • Feb. 14, 2026

At the same time deep in the heat of my anger there was forged an overwhelming insight into the thing that had disturbed me when Strauss spoke and again when Nemur amplified his data.

From "Flowers for Algernon" by Daniel Keyes