caught in the act
idiom
: caught while doing something specified
He tried to rob a bank and was caught in the act.
Examples of caught in the act in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The charming canine, Barney, was caught in the act by his human, who uses the handle @mybestiebarney on TikTok.
—
Yaakov Katz, Newsweek, 27 Nov. 2024
See photo of winged homeless man caught in the act of littering.
—Jay Martel, The New Yorker, 28 Oct. 2024
Also of note is that this information is not presented as an observation from the reporter; Sparks wasn’t caught in the act.
—Rebecca Alter, Vulture, 25 Sep. 2024
Nearly half of shoplifters (48%) have been caught in the act.
—Daniel De Visé, USA TODAY, 12 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for caught in the act 
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Yaakov Katz, Newsweek, 27 Nov. 2024
See photo of winged homeless man caught in the act of littering.
—Jay Martel, The New Yorker, 28 Oct. 2024
Also of note is that this information is not presented as an observation from the reporter; Sparks wasn’t caught in the act.
—Rebecca Alter, Vulture, 25 Sep. 2024
Nearly half of shoplifters (48%) have been caught in the act.
—Daniel De Visé, USA TODAY, 12 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for caught in the act
Dictionary Entries Near caught in the act
Cite this Entry
“Caught in the act.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/caught%20in%20the%20act. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.
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