act on/upon
phrasal verb
acted on/upon; acting on/upon; acts on/upon
: to use (something, such as a feeling or suggestion) as a reason or basis for doing something
They never acted on the information they had.
It's okay to feel angry or jealous, but you mustn't act on those feelings.
Examples of act on/upon in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
While republican lawmakers in Washington have been reluctant to act on that call, U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said in June that the administration was renegotiating some of the bill’s grants.
—
Dylan Butts, CNBC, 19 Aug. 2025
While states will still submit mortality data to the National Vital Statistics System, there is no longer a federal team to interpret that information, identify disparities, or act on warning signs.
—Karen Cohn, New York Daily News, 18 Aug. 2025
The letter said that the Arizona Peace Officer Standards and Training Board, a law enforcement regulatory agency, would continue to independently monitor police actions and complaints and act on them if needed.
—Elena Santa Cruz, AZCentral.com, 15 Aug. 2025
These agents are embedded directly into networks and systems—not just to monitor for threats, but to act on them immediately, without waiting for human approval.
—Saurav Bhattacharya, Forbes.com, 13 Aug. 2025
However, both locations held dubious optics, as Switzerland, a member of the International Criminal Court, could be obligated to act on the 2023 ICC arrest warrant issued against Putin, and Hungary, though frequently seen as sympathetic to Russia, is a NATO member state.
—Caitlin McFall, FOXNews.com, 13 Aug. 2025
And Skydance’s takeover of Paramount also started a ticking clock: The league now has a window to force a renegotiation for the CBS NFL rights, an option that the league will need to decide to act on, and one that will provide visibility into the league’s TV future.
—Alex Weprin, HollywoodReporter, 13 Aug. 2025
All season long, everyone has been too busy contemplating their own unexpressed feelings to act on them.
—Kathleen Walsh, Vulture, 13 Aug. 2025
Both the Democrats and the Republicans need to pay attention to and act upon the historic words of Jefferson, Eisenhower and Schumpeter that seem even more meaningful today.
—Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 12 Aug. 2025
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Dylan Butts, CNBC, 19 Aug. 2025
While states will still submit mortality data to the National Vital Statistics System, there is no longer a federal team to interpret that information, identify disparities, or act on warning signs.
—Karen Cohn, New York Daily News, 18 Aug. 2025
The letter said that the Arizona Peace Officer Standards and Training Board, a law enforcement regulatory agency, would continue to independently monitor police actions and complaints and act on them if needed.
—Elena Santa Cruz, AZCentral.com, 15 Aug. 2025
These agents are embedded directly into networks and systems—not just to monitor for threats, but to act on them immediately, without waiting for human approval.
—Saurav Bhattacharya, Forbes.com, 13 Aug. 2025
However, both locations held dubious optics, as Switzerland, a member of the International Criminal Court, could be obligated to act on the 2023 ICC arrest warrant issued against Putin, and Hungary, though frequently seen as sympathetic to Russia, is a NATO member state.
—Caitlin McFall, FOXNews.com, 13 Aug. 2025
And Skydance’s takeover of Paramount also started a ticking clock: The league now has a window to force a renegotiation for the CBS NFL rights, an option that the league will need to decide to act on, and one that will provide visibility into the league’s TV future.
—Alex Weprin, HollywoodReporter, 13 Aug. 2025
All season long, everyone has been too busy contemplating their own unexpressed feelings to act on them.
—Kathleen Walsh, Vulture, 13 Aug. 2025
Both the Democrats and the Republicans need to pay attention to and act upon the historic words of Jefferson, Eisenhower and Schumpeter that seem even more meaningful today.
—Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 12 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Act on/upon.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/act%20on%2Fupon. Accessed 30 Jan. 2026.
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