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.
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Recent Examples of act
Christina MacFarlane, CNN Money, 6 Mar. 2026
The Iranian women’s team, competing in the Asian Cup in Australia, on Monday declined to sing the national anthem before its match against South Korea, a move that was interpreted by many as an act of resistance against the current regime.
—Sean Gregory, Time, 6 Mar. 2026
Darcel Rockett, Chicago Tribune, 7 Mar. 2026
The temptations to subvert our open records act are everywhere and often not resisted.
—Kevin Rennie, Hartford Courant, 7 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for act
Noun
However, the act did not appear to go down well with the Iranian regime.
—Christina MacFarlane, CNN Money, 6 Mar. 2026
The Iranian women’s team, competing in the Asian Cup in Australia, on Monday declined to sing the national anthem before its match against South Korea, a move that was interpreted by many as an act of resistance against the current regime.
—Sean Gregory, Time, 6 Mar. 2026
Verb
Like any good country preacher, Jackson could move people to tears and move them to act.
—Darcel Rockett, Chicago Tribune, 7 Mar. 2026
The temptations to subvert our open records act are everywhere and often not resisted.
—Kevin Rennie, Hartford Courant, 7 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for act
Recent Examples of Synonyms for act
Noun
-
Always consult with your healthcare provider before introducing any supplement to your routine.—
Lauren Manaker,
SELF,
5 Mar. 2026
-
Best strength training equipment This set of select-a-weight dumbbells can replace 15 pairs of regular dumbbells for your strength training routine.—
BestReviews,
Mercury News,
5 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Ahead of the show’s final season premiere, The Times spoke with Balfe and Heughan to get their thoughts on bringing the historical romance to life and the journey to reach the final chapter.—
Yvonne Villarreal,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Mar. 2026
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The show's network, CBS, announced in July that the upcoming season would be the franchise's last.—
Raechal Shewfelt,
Entertainment Weekly,
6 Mar. 2026
Noun
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According to the website, states may exempt themselves from observing daylight saving time by state law in accordance with the Uniform Time Act, as amended.—
Chris Sims,
IndyStar,
8 Mar. 2026
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On at least six other occasions, detainees attempted to harm themselves while expressing suicidal ideations that resulted in 911 calls, according to records from the city of El Paso obtained under the Texas public information law.—
Morgan Lee,
Los Angeles Times,
8 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
No, the best part of this whole thing is that while Christian was telling his island bestie about his Billie Eilish Boomerang Idol, what was Rick doing?—
Dalton Ross,
Entertainment Weekly,
5 Mar. 2026
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And on Broadcom's relationship with Google, in particular, Tan had encouraging things to say about the roadmap for future versions of Tensor Processing Units (TPUs).—
Zev Fima,
CNBC,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
How to play Mega Millions Player can pick six numbers from two separate pools of numbers — five different numbers from 1 to 70 (the white balls) and one number from 1 to 24 (the gold Mega Mall).—
Tanya Wildt,
Freep.com,
4 Mar. 2026
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Bilodeau has scored in double figures in 26 of 28 games played, totaling 20 points or more nine times.—
Steve Galluzzo,
Los Angeles Times,
4 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The Hawks worked the ball up court and got it to Webb who fake a drive to make some space and then drilled a three with 10 seconds left to retake the lead.—
Darren Lauber,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
7 Mar. 2026
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And though the devastation wrought by last year’s fire was unprecedented in its scale, the Schneiders remain optimistic about the future of their beloved enclave and its plucky local paper.—
Clara Harter,
Los Angeles Times,
7 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The big story India can't seem to escape from the fallout of the escalating conflict in the Middle East.—
Priyanka Salve,
CNBC,
5 Mar. 2026
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Stadium attendances and online viewership are surging, commercial investment is increasing, and new opportunities seem to be emerging across every corner of the game.—
Kati Chitrakorn,
CNN Money,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Since the electronic structure of nickelates involves several energy bands, determining the exact carrier density is difficult, so the Hall coefficient served as a practical way to map how the system evolves.—
Rupendra Brahambhatt,
Interesting Engineering,
8 Mar. 2026
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Tee Pee Drive-In, also near Tulsa, has been lovingly restored by new owners, who added a chrome concession truck serving foot-long corn dogs and strawberry-blonde cocktails.—
Zoey Goto,
Travel + Leisure,
8 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Act.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/act. Accessed 11 Mar. 2026.
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