In That Moment vs. At That Moment – Which is Correct?

Both “in that moment” and “at that moment” are correct English phrases. Use “at that moment” to identify a specific time or event, especially in narration. Use “in that moment” to emphasize someone’s feelings, thoughts, or experience while the moment unfolded. The best choice depends on whether timing or immersion matters more.

In That Moment or At That Moment – Which is Correct?

Both “in that moment” and “at that moment” are valid American English phrases, but they highlight different ideas. “At that moment” points to a specific time on a timeline. It often introduces an event that happened then, such as “At that moment, the phone rang.”

Because moment is often misspelled as “momment,” reviewing Moment vs. Momment reinforces the correct spelling.

“In that moment” focuses on what someone felt, thought, realized, or experienced during the moment. It often creates a more emotional, reflective, or immersive tone, as in “In that moment, she understood the truth.”

The Best Trick to Remember the Difference

Use the “timeline versus experience” test. If you could replace the phrase with “then” or “at that precise time”, choose “at that moment.” If you could replace it with “during that experience” or “while feeling that way”, choose “in that moment.”

Another useful memory trick is that at identifies a point, while in suggests being inside an experience. Therefore, events usually happen at a moment, while emotions and realizations often occur in a moment.

Word	Part of Speech	Meaning	Example
in that moment	Prepositional phrase	During that particular experience or emotional instant	In that moment, I knew I had made the right choice.
at that moment	Prepositional phrase	At that specific time or point in an event	At that moment, the lights went out.

How to Use In That Moment

“In that moment” describes what happens within a particular experience, often emphasizing emotion, perception, realization, or personal meaning. It is common in personal essays, memoirs, interviews, speeches, fiction, and reflective writing.

This phrase can also describe a short period rather than a mathematically precise instant. It invites the reader to imagine what a person was experiencing from the inside. It generally sounds natural in both casual and formal contexts, although it is especially effective in emotional or dramatic writing.

Example 1: In that moment, he realized how much the decision mattered.

Example 2: I was frightened in that moment, but I continued moving forward.

Example 3: In that moment, the entire audience became completely silent.

Etymology of the Phrase In That Moment

The phrase combines the preposition in, the demonstrative determiner that, and the noun moment. Moment comes through Old French from Latin momentum, meaning “movement,” “impulse,” or “a brief period.” The use of in presents the moment as a space or experience in which something occurs.

How to Use At That Moment

“At that moment” identifies a particular point in time. It is useful when narrating a sequence of events, explaining when something occurred, or connecting one event to another. The phrase often sounds objective and chronological, though it can also appear in emotional writing.

Use it when the exact experience inside the moment is less important than the timing of an action or event. In a story, “at that moment” can signal that something happened immediately before, after, or during a specific turning point.

Example 1: At that moment, the train began to leave the station.

Example 2: She called me at that moment to share the news.

Example 3: At that moment, no one knew what would happen next.

Etymology of the Phrase At That Moment

The phrase contains the preposition at, the demonstrative determiner that, and the noun moment. The preposition at has Old English and Germanic roots and has long been used to identify a location or point. In this phrase, the “location” is a specific point on the timeline.

Related Concepts

Understanding prepositions and aspect helps clarify why these two phrases can sound similar while producing different shades of meaning.

• Prepositions of time: English uses different prepositions to describe time. We commonly say at a precise time, on a day or date, and in a month, year, or longer period. However, “in that moment” uses in metaphorically to describe participation in an experience.
• Chronological narration: “At that moment” helps organize events in a sequence. It tells readers where an action belongs on the timeline.
• Emotional perspective: “In that moment” often presents a character’s internal experience, including feelings, memories, decisions, and realizations.
• Demonstrative determiners: The word that points to a particular moment already known from context or identified by the surrounding situation.

Examples from Media and Literature

Writers and speakers choose between these phrases according to whether they want to emphasize timing or lived experience.

• Historical nonfiction: A writer may use “at that moment” to identify the exact point when a leader made a decision or an important event began.
• Memoirs: An author may use “in that moment” to describe a private realization, emotional reaction, or life-changing insight.
• Film dialogue: A character might say “In that moment, I knew” to emphasize an internal certainty rather than simply report when something happened.
• Short stories and novels: “At that moment” commonly introduces a sudden interruption, discovery, or plot twist in chronological narration.
• News reporting: A report may use “at that moment” when explaining what was happening at a particular stage of an incident or public event.

Practice Exercises

Choose the correct phrase to complete each sentence: in that moment or at that moment.

1. __________, the fire alarm began to ring.
2. __________, she felt a deep sense of gratitude.
3. The witness was standing near the entrance __________.
4. __________, I understood why he had kept the letter.
5. __________, the entire team was waiting for the final announcement.

Answer Key

1. At that moment — This sentence emphasizes when the alarm started.
2. In that moment — This sentence emphasizes the person’s emotional experience.
3. at that moment — The phrase identifies a specific time in the event.
4. In that moment — The phrase introduces a realization.
5. At that moment — The phrase describes the team’s situation at a particular point in time.

In That Moment Synonyms

Synonym	Definition
during that moment	Within the period being discussed
at that instant	At that exact point in time
in that instant	Within a brief, often meaningful instant
then and there	Immediately in that place and time
in the midst of it	While fully involved in the experience

At That Moment Synonyms

Synonym	Definition
then	At the time previously mentioned
at that instant	At that precise point in time
at that point	At that stage of an event or process
just then	Immediately at or around that time
at the time	During the particular period being discussed

Frequently Asked Questions

Question 1: Is “in that moment” grammatically correct?
Yes. “In that moment” is a standard English phrase. It usually emphasizes feelings, thoughts, discoveries, or experiences occurring during a particular moment.

Question 2: Is “at that moment” grammatically correct?
Yes. “At that moment” is also correct and commonly identifies a specific point in time, especially when describing events in chronological order.

Question 3: Can “in that moment” and “at that moment” be used interchangeably?
Sometimes, but they are not always identical in tone. “At that moment” is more time-focused, while “in that moment” is more experience-focused. Replacing one with the other may subtly change the sentence’s emphasis.

Question 4: Which phrase is better for formal writing?
Both are suitable for formal writing. Choose “at that moment” for a precise chronological statement and “in that moment” when discussing emotional, psychological, or experiential meaning.

Conclusion

Both “in that moment” and “at that moment” are correct. Use “at that moment” when pointing to a specific time or event, and use “in that moment” when emphasizing what someone felt, thought, or experienced. Pro Tip: Choosing the phrase that precisely communicates your meaning makes your writing sound more polished and strengthens your professional reputation.