as in interim
serving in a position for the time being
will serve as acting president of the university until a permanent replacement can be found
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in playing
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
as in working
to produce a desired effect
the painkiller acted surprisingly quickly
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in seeming
to give the impression of being
always acting helpless, just to get attention
Synonyms & Similar Words
4
as in serving
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 pretending
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 mocking
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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Recent Examples of acting
Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 10 Sep. 2025
But on Inauguration Day, a White House report listing interim heads of agencies referred to Driscoll as the acting director.
—Carrie Johnson, NPR, 10 Sep. 2025
Ryan Gajewski, HollywoodReporter, 8 Aug. 2025
Aside from his cameo on Fuller House, Ewing's most recent acting credit was in 2017's A Very Sordid Wedding, the sequel to the cult hit Sordid Lives starring the late Olivia Newton-John.
—Keith Langston, People.com, 5 Aug. 2025
Peter Larsen, Oc Register, 12 Sep. 2025
Why is everybody acting like Prohibition is back again?
—John Metcalfe, Mercury News, 12 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for acting
Adjective
The scene is rough to watch, not because of the emotions on display but because the acting and dialogue are so unpolished.
—Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 10 Sep. 2025
But on Inauguration Day, a White House report listing interim heads of agencies referred to Driscoll as the acting director.
—Carrie Johnson, NPR, 10 Sep. 2025
Verb
The project is nominated for three Emmys, including best comedy series and acting nods for Bell and Brody.
—Ryan Gajewski, HollywoodReporter, 8 Aug. 2025
Aside from his cameo on Fuller House, Ewing's most recent acting credit was in 2017's A Very Sordid Wedding, the sequel to the cult hit Sordid Lives starring the late Olivia Newton-John.
—Keith Langston, People.com, 5 Aug. 2025
Noun
Heather is taking acting classes along with classes at the Groundlings improv comedy troupe, so … .
—Peter Larsen, Oc Register, 12 Sep. 2025
Why is everybody acting like Prohibition is back again?
—John Metcalfe, Mercury News, 12 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for acting
Recent Examples of Synonyms for acting
Adjective
-
Under the new Fish and Wildlife interim pintail harvest strategy, hunters in all four flyways are expected to have a three-pintail daily bag limit option for next year's 2026–'27 season based on this year's breeding population results.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
16 Sep. 2025
-
Market Basket, the popular grocery store chain embroiled in a family feud, has named a new interim CEO.—
Joe Dwinell,
Boston Herald,
16 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Rookie Anthony Belton, playing right tackle for an injured Zach Tom, had a holding penalty that negated a 39-yard touchdown to Jayden Reed.—
Rob Reischel,
Forbes.com,
12 Sep. 2025
-
But there is something to getting in a room and all playing music together, which is what that record was born from.—
Isabela Raygoza,
Billboard,
12 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
At the same time, working collectively doesn’t always mean things move quickly.—
Caterina De Biasio,
Vogue,
11 Sep. 2025
-
What began as a chance to build a sales team and achieve financial independence turned into a mission to serve working families.—
William Jones,
USA Today,
11 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Volcanic-seeming black rock lines a catacomblike stairway, punctuated by a single glass window framing a lone Calder.—
Adam Gopnik,
New Yorker,
15 Sep. 2025
-
Some resign themselves to it; others try, with seeming desperation, to stay relevant or, worse, edgy.—
Jem Aswad,
Variety,
12 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Greenfield's departure will therefore be considered a significant moment for Ben & Jerry's, while also serving as a symbol of the clash between corporate governance and brand activism.—
Hugh Cameron
Shane Croucher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 Sep. 2025
-
Getty Images Rec, a technology company serving the parks and recreation industry, has raised $11 million in a Series A funding round in which several former and current professional athletes participated.—
Tim Casey,
Forbes.com,
17 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
These issues are very real and generally speaking there are very few, if any, magic combinations of settings to cure these problems for many players, and pretending like that’s true is either disingenuous or misinformed.—
Paul Tassi,
Forbes.com,
15 Sep. 2025
-
Scrolling on one’s phone can be a deadening experience, but here’s someone feeling, or at least pretending to feel, a genuine feeling—even if the abundance of these videos surely numbs us further.—
Spencer Kornhaber,
The Atlantic,
15 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Student accused of mocking Charlie Kirk death Camryn Giselle Booker, a student at Texas Tech University, was arrested on charges of assault after an altercation with students mourning the death of Charlie Kirk.—
Amanda Castro
Hannah Parry
Shane Croucher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
15 Sep. 2025
-
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said the Pentagon is seeking to identify and potentially discipline anyone who has made posts celebrating or mocking Kirk’s death.—
Ross O'Keefe,
The Washington Examiner,
13 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
There are, however, key technical challenges such as generating on-demand, indistinguishable single photons with high efficiency, and the probabilistic nature of photonic gates (the electronic elements in a computer performing logic operations).—
Gil Press,
Forbes.com,
16 Sep. 2025
-
And that receiver, now 33, is likewise performing as if age is just another number.—
Nate Atkins,
New York Times,
15 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Acting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/acting. Accessed 17 Sep. 2025.
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