student asking question

Does "caught" here mean same as "stuck"?

teacher

Native speaker’s answer

Rebecca

Yes! You could even use "stuck" instead of "caught" here. I will say that there is a slight difference in nuance. "Caught" implies that it could be more of a negative situation than "stuck." "Caught" also makes it seem like there's more of an attempt to get out or that you're actively involved in the situation. "Stuck" could be more of a passive thing, where you're not necessarily trying to get out, or there are no options to try and get out. Ex: I'm stuck in the middle of this situation, and there's nothing I can do about it. Ex: I got caught up in this whole mess because I thought I could help. Ex: My friends are fighting, and I'm stuck in the middle. => passive = My friends are fighting, and I'm caught in the middle. => actively involved to some degree

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