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.
Sometimes, though, the women happened to catch perpetrators in the act. Saint Ekpali, The Christian Science Monitor, 21 Nov. 2024 According to Weich, the investigator found surveillance video catching Kelly in the act. Karen Bartunek, The Arizona Republic, 29 Oct. 2024 The diversity of species that partake in the act itself - and the different types of breaching - suggests that this behavior is not only widespread but also serves multiple functions, depending on the species and the context. Melissa Cristina Marquez, Forbes, 27 Oct. 2024 Later Renaissance masters were savvier about how gravity works on the human body, but no one was better at painting the harsh, mindless pull of it, or hinting at the secret exertions in the act of standing. Jackson Arn, The New Yorker, 16 Oct. 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 26 Nov. 2024.

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!