in the act (of doing something)
idiom
: in the process of doing something
When they arrived, I was just in the act of starting to make dinner.
Examples of in the act (of doing something) in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
On one of the last frontiers of European and American expansion, blackbirders had little fear of being caught in the act.
—
Shoshi Parks, Smithsonian Magazine, 5 Dec. 2024
He was only saved when the Japanese Coast Guard caught the kidnappers in the act and the U.S. State Department intervened to prevent his execution on the peninsula.
—Timothy Nerozzi, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 4 Dec. 2024
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
Expect local dealerships to get in the act with their own Black Friday promotions to help lure consumers already in a spending mood into their showrooms.
—Jim Gorzelany, Forbes, 25 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for in the act (of doing something) 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Shoshi Parks, Smithsonian Magazine, 5 Dec. 2024
He was only saved when the Japanese Coast Guard caught the kidnappers in the act and the U.S. State Department intervened to prevent his execution on the peninsula.
—Timothy Nerozzi, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 4 Dec. 2024
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
Expect local dealerships to get in the act with their own Black Friday promotions to help lure consumers already in a spending mood into their showrooms.
—Jim Gorzelany, Forbes, 25 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for in the act (of doing something)
Dictionary Entries Near in the act (of doing something)
Cite this Entry
“In the act (of doing something).” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/in%20the%20act%20%28of%20doing%20something%29. Accessed 15 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share