1
2
as in show
a display of emotion or behavior that is insincere or intended to deceive
was putting on an act when she said she didn't mind being left out of the outing
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in law
a rule of conduct or action laid down by a governing authority and especially a legislature
the Americans with Disabilities Act requires public buildings to have wheelchair access
Synonyms & Similar Words
4
as in thing
something done by someone
it's acts such as this—lying about having to work late—that make me feel like I can't trust you
Synonyms & Similar Words
1
as in to play
to present a portrayal or performance of
a local student acted the part of Tiny Tim in our theater company's production of A Christmas Carol
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
3
4
5
as in to pretend
to present a false appearance of
if you act confident long enough, you'll begin to actually feel it
Synonyms & Similar Words
6
as in to mock
to pretend to be (what one is not) in appearance or behavior
someone who is willing to act the helpless little thing when she wants attention
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of act
Joshua Yaffa, New Yorker, 26 Sep. 2025
Of course, for most visitors, the very act of lining up, sweating, and weaving through stalls is part of the magic of visiting Taiwan.
—Clarissa Wei, Travel + Leisure, 26 Sep. 2025
Eduardo Cuevas, USA Today, 25 Sep. 2025
The low tide ultimately stranded seven out of the 12 dolphins in different areas of Wellfleet, but IFAW’s people acted quickly.
—Margherita Bassi, Popular Science, 25 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for act
Noun
Putin was portrayed as an unsightly troll, who, by an act of magic—a spell cast by the puppet version of Boris Berezovsky, the magnate who helped engineer his rise to the Presidency—comes to appear beautiful and virtuous, the subject of great adulation and deference.
—Joshua Yaffa, New Yorker, 26 Sep. 2025
Of course, for most visitors, the very act of lining up, sweating, and weaving through stalls is part of the magic of visiting Taiwan.
—Clarissa Wei, Travel + Leisure, 26 Sep. 2025
Verb
Officials believe Jahn, of Fairview, Texas, acted alone.
—Eduardo Cuevas, USA Today, 25 Sep. 2025
The low tide ultimately stranded seven out of the 12 dolphins in different areas of Wellfleet, but IFAW’s people acted quickly.
—Margherita Bassi, Popular Science, 25 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for act
Recent Examples of Synonyms for act
Noun
-
In a rare turn for Chinese tech, Alibaba is leaning heavily into superintelligence — a hypothetical AI system surpassing human intellect — mirroring efforts by US firms like OpenAI and Meta.—
J.D. Capelouto,
semafor.com,
24 Sep. 2025
-
That vulnerability, in turn, was the result of a flaw in the logic for validating a firmware image after it has been uploaded through the Supermicro BMC.—
Dan Goodin,
ArsTechnica,
24 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
How strong a hand does a jump rebid show in competition?—
Deb Harvell,
Arkansas Online,
28 Sep. 2025
-
The architecture itself becomes part of the show, framing the art with centuries of history.—
Dada Jovanovic,
ABC News,
28 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Within days, regulators determined the hospital had violated federal law.—
ProPublica,
ProPublica,
22 Sep. 2025
-
Trump is set to sign an executive order later this week stating that the deal constitutes a qualified divestiture as required by the ban-or-sale law that passed last year, the official said.—
Clare Duffy,
CNN Money,
22 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
As for traffic flow and cost-effectiveness, a couple of things are worth considering.—
Eric D. Lawrence,
USA Today,
28 Sep. 2025
-
Shannon tries to ram the trainers with elbows because, yeah, Shannon does those kinds of things.—
Peter Larsen,
Oc Register,
27 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Kirk played a pivotal role in helping Republicans close the gap among young voters in 2024.—
Karissa Waddick,
USA Today,
27 Sep. 2025
-
The Astros are now one game behind the Detroit Tigers and Cleveland Guardians, with two games to play.—
Jeff Fletcher,
Oc Register,
27 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Law enforcement agencies were working with the airports to resolve problems and issues stemming from the cyberattack.—
Washington Examiner Staff,
The Washington Examiner,
22 Sep. 2025
-
McAfee has worked with WWE since 2018 as an analyst, host, and commentator, and also participated in the ring, including matches with The Miz and Gunther.—
Matthew Couden,
MSNBC Newsweek,
22 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
A day after clinching the division title, the Dodgers did not take batting practice on the field but Muncy took ground balls at third base for quite awhile and seemed to be moving freely.—
Bill Plunkett,
Oc Register,
27 Sep. 2025
-
One lesson the Pioneers seemed to have down pat Friday was how to convert on a short field.—
Frank Rajkowski,
Twin Cities,
27 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
But only the vehicle miles traveled associated with 40,000 square feet of regionally serving restaurant space is considered a significant and unavoidable impact, according to the final environment analysis.—
Jennifer Van Grove,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
23 Sep. 2025
-
Barnes also starred serving by delivering six aces, all of which came in the final set and buried the Bishops in an 18-5 hole.—
Greg Dudek,
Boston Herald,
23 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Act.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/act. Accessed 28 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share