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
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.
Curly had been replaced in the act by brother Shemp Howard, who joined another brother, Moe Howard, and Larry Fine. Mike Barnes, HollywoodReporter, 27 May 2025 Harry catches her in the act and calls her out for planning to plant fake DNA evidence. Matt Cabral, EW.com, 26 May 2025 Caught in the act, the bear fled, leaving the dead ram dangling atop the farm fence, and leaving Remple shaken. Lesley Evans Ogden, Smithsonian Magazine, 23 May 2025 Unfortunately, Simone’s about as good at that as Devon is at subtle questioning, so Peter quickly catches her in the act. Caroline Framke, Vulture, 22 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for in the act (of doing something)

Browse Nearby Words

See all Nearby Words

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 2 Jun. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!