1
2
as in shows
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 laws
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
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in things
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 plays
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
as in seems
to give the impression of being
always acting helpless, just to get attention
Synonyms & Similar Words
4
as in functions
to have a certain purpose
the tail feathers of woodpeckers act as props while the birds excavate tree trunks for insects
Synonyms & Similar Words
5
as in pretends
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 mocks
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
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show current usage.
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Recent Examples of acts
Roshane Thomas, New York Times, 28 Sep. 2025
Public acts passed in Connecticut go into effect on October 1 of each year.
—Andrew Stanton, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Sep. 2025
Evans was succeeded by Joel Peresman, who had cut his teeth in the mailroom at William Morris and later booked acts like David Bowie, Genesis, and Pink Floyd.
—Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 28 Sep. 2025
Also known as epicuticular wax or blossom, bloom acts like a protective barrier, keeping grapes firm and fresh.
—Katie Rosenhouse, Southern Living, 28 Sep. 2025
Big name pop music acts including Mariah Carey, The Black Eyed Peas and Justin Bieber all earned criticism for opting to perform in the country in recent years.
—Chloe Veltman, NPR, 27 Sep. 2025
The guide also suggests snagging tickets to see Sweden’s renowned musical acts—including metal bands.
—Lydia Price, Travel + Leisure, 27 Sep. 2025
This reversible cover acts as a two-in-one—one side with large checks, and the other with smaller spacing.
—Yelena Moroz Alpert, Architectural Digest, 26 Sep. 2025
Though murder is the most severe metric, the deaths-only data approach entirely excludes acts of arson, assault, and vandalism, all typical tactics of leftist antifascist militants used to intimidate political opponents and pave the way for a revolution.
—Mia Cathell, The Washington Examiner, 22 Sep. 2025
Brittany Lubeck, Verywell Health, 29 Sep. 2025
This protein acts as a master regulator of cell growth and metabolism.
—Ted Powers, The Conversation, 29 Sep. 2025
Major hip-hop acts like NBA Youngboy, Playboi Carti and MGK are scheduled to perform in Music City this fall.
—Caché McClay, Nashville Tennessean, 26 Sep. 2025
Some seeds have developed a morphologically distinct plant appendage that acts as a hook or many hooks.
—Markis Hill, Kansas City Star, 26 Sep. 2025
The setup acts like a physical aimbot.
—Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 26 Sep. 2025
Even younger crossover acts like the Marías are leaning into the circuit, plugging into festivals and city stops once seen as add-ons but now treated as essential anchors of their global strategy.
—Alex Ashley, Rolling Stone, 25 Sep. 2025
Haute cuisine acts as backdrop and metaphor.
—Callum McLennan, Variety, 25 Sep. 2025
Winner This week's winner is a 1-year-old cat named Elliot who acts more like a dog than a feline.
—Liz O'Connell, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 Sep. 2025
Noun
One of Potter’s first acts at West Ham was to increase the intensity in training sessions and then give players time off.
—Roshane Thomas, New York Times, 28 Sep. 2025
Public acts passed in Connecticut go into effect on October 1 of each year.
—Andrew Stanton, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Sep. 2025
Evans was succeeded by Joel Peresman, who had cut his teeth in the mailroom at William Morris and later booked acts like David Bowie, Genesis, and Pink Floyd.
—Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 28 Sep. 2025
Also known as epicuticular wax or blossom, bloom acts like a protective barrier, keeping grapes firm and fresh.
—Katie Rosenhouse, Southern Living, 28 Sep. 2025
Big name pop music acts including Mariah Carey, The Black Eyed Peas and Justin Bieber all earned criticism for opting to perform in the country in recent years.
—Chloe Veltman, NPR, 27 Sep. 2025
The guide also suggests snagging tickets to see Sweden’s renowned musical acts—including metal bands.
—Lydia Price, Travel + Leisure, 27 Sep. 2025
This reversible cover acts as a two-in-one—one side with large checks, and the other with smaller spacing.
—Yelena Moroz Alpert, Architectural Digest, 26 Sep. 2025
Though murder is the most severe metric, the deaths-only data approach entirely excludes acts of arson, assault, and vandalism, all typical tactics of leftist antifascist militants used to intimidate political opponents and pave the way for a revolution.
—Mia Cathell, The Washington Examiner, 22 Sep. 2025
Verb
In a mouse study, maple syrup improved the gut microbiome (the community of microorganisms in the digestive tract) and acts similarly to prebiotics, which help the good bacteria in your gut flourish.
—Brittany Lubeck, Verywell Health, 29 Sep. 2025
This protein acts as a master regulator of cell growth and metabolism.
—Ted Powers, The Conversation, 29 Sep. 2025
Major hip-hop acts like NBA Youngboy, Playboi Carti and MGK are scheduled to perform in Music City this fall.
—Caché McClay, Nashville Tennessean, 26 Sep. 2025
Some seeds have developed a morphologically distinct plant appendage that acts as a hook or many hooks.
—Markis Hill, Kansas City Star, 26 Sep. 2025
The setup acts like a physical aimbot.
—Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 26 Sep. 2025
Even younger crossover acts like the Marías are leaning into the circuit, plugging into festivals and city stops once seen as add-ons but now treated as essential anchors of their global strategy.
—Alex Ashley, Rolling Stone, 25 Sep. 2025
Haute cuisine acts as backdrop and metaphor.
—Callum McLennan, Variety, 25 Sep. 2025
Winner This week's winner is a 1-year-old cat named Elliot who acts more like a dog than a feline.
—Liz O'Connell, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for acts
Noun
-
Nightly entertainment, including magic shows and live music, brings energy to the evenings.—
Allison Tibaldi,
USA Today,
27 Sep. 2025
-
From early-morning meetings to a stack line-up of shows followed by late-night dinners, their looks balanced sharp style with real-world practicality—a lesson in fashion and function that feels perfect for right now.—
Minty Mellon,
Vogue,
27 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
The Department of Transportation (DOT) pledged to enforce existing laws.—
Christopher Elliott,
USA Today,
29 Sep. 2025
-
The organization takes care of the back-end logistics, from payroll and setting tuition to lobbying state legislators and navigating local zoning laws, freeing educators to concentrate on their craft.—
Preston Fore,
Fortune,
28 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Shannon tries to ram the trainers with elbows because, yeah, Shannon does those kinds of things.—
Peter Larsen,
Oc Register,
27 Sep. 2025
-
That means creative packing, while also keeping things as lightweight as possible to stay mobile.—
Skyler Caruso,
PEOPLE,
26 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
This creates a pocket of space, into which Wharton plays the ball perfectly.—
Ahmed Walid,
New York Times,
24 Sep. 2025
-
When properly taken care of, your gut plays an important role in reducing your risk of colorectal cancer.—
Claire Dodds,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
But Adriana accuses Julia of that because that is the way Adriana works.—
Brian Moylan,
Vulture,
26 Sep. 2025
-
The feature currently works only on mobile devices for Pro tier subscribers, who pay $200 per month for access to OpenAI's most capable models.—
Benj Edwards,
ArsTechnica,
25 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Because the fake installer includes the real app, everything seems to work fine.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
29 Sep. 2025
-
However, the game rights change is contingent on the larger ESPN-NFL deal passing Department of Justice review, which seems increasingly unlikely to come before the NFL plots its 2026 calendar.—
Jacob Feldman,
Sportico.com,
29 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
One of its most recent iterations, the Supersonic Nural, comes outfitted with a groundbreaking Wave + Curl hair diffuser that functions two ways.—
Stacia Datskovska,
Footwear News,
26 Sep. 2025
-
Several SSDs can be combined into a single RAID that then functions as a single drive.—
Mark Sparrow,
Forbes.com,
11 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The label is applied when a teen pretends or forces himself to present in this way just to win the romantic attention of the young women around him.—
Ashleigh N. DeLuca,
Parents,
24 Sep. 2025
-
The lies begin as soon as Max encounters Guillermo, an arrogant nepo baby who blamed him for Ane’s death but now pretends to accept his apology.—
Judy Berman,
Time,
19 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Acts.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/acts. Accessed 30 Sep. 2025.
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