act out
verb
acted out; acting out; acts out
1
a
: to represent in action
children act out what they read
b
: to translate into action
unwilling to act out their beliefs
2
: to express (something, such as an impulse or a fantasy) directly in overt behavior without modification to comply with social norms
: to behave badly or in a socially unacceptable often self-defeating manner especially as a means of venting painful emotions (such as fear or frustration)
Synonyms of act out
Examples of act out in a Sentence
because his parents spent so much time with his chronically ill sister, the boy resorted to acting out in order to get attention
Recent Examples on the Web
Mia is really acting out her character and has butt pads so lumpy that Michelle Visage got up off her couch to come over to the Hamptons to yell at her.
—
Brian Moylan, Vulture, 25 Mar. 2026
But gaslighters don't necessarily act out of pure malice, Sweet says.
—Emma Bowman, NPR, 25 Mar. 2026
Reports from those calls reveal a spectrum of youth behaviors, from hallway bullying to acting out because of problems at home.
—Natalie Eilbert, jsonline.com, 19 Mar. 2026
The still-living members of the Clyburn family act out their heartbreak in a variety of ways.
—Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 13 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for act out
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Brian Moylan, Vulture, 25 Mar. 2026
But gaslighters don't necessarily act out of pure malice, Sweet says.
—Emma Bowman, NPR, 25 Mar. 2026
Reports from those calls reveal a spectrum of youth behaviors, from hallway bullying to acting out because of problems at home.
—Natalie Eilbert, jsonline.com, 19 Mar. 2026
The still-living members of the Clyburn family act out their heartbreak in a variety of ways.
—Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 13 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for act out
Cite this Entry
“Act out.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/act%20out. Accessed 30 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
act out
transitive verb
: to express (as an impulse or a fantasy) directly in overt behavior without modification to comply with social norms
act out an adolescent fantasy
: to behave badly or in a socially unacceptable often self-defeating manner especially as a means of venting painful emotions (as fear or frustration)
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