caught in the middle

Idioms  

1. Also, caught in the cross-fire. Between two opposing sides, as in The writers are often caught in the middle between editor and publisher, who are political opponents, or When parents don't get along, the children are often caught in the cross-fire. Long used in military situations, these terms began to be used figuratively in the second half of the 1800s.

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

caught in the middle

For small businesses caught in the middle, deeper dependence on Amazon’s logistics means rising fees, with no leverage to push back.

From Salon ● May 27, 2026

As an artificial-intelligence researcher with a specialty in videogames, Togelius is caught in the middle of what he calls “an ongoing culture war” between his passions.

From MarketWatch ● May 23, 2026

For fliers caught in the middle, there’s no single rulebook to follow, aviation watchdogs said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 2, 2026

But staff and patients alike warn that hospitals across the country are caught in the middle of a system, many believe, is close to breaking point.

From BBC ● Dec. 10, 2025

Why does it feel like no matter what I do, I’m always caught in the middle?

From "Red Flags and Butterflies" by Sheryl Azzam