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
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Recent Examples of act
Marina Johnson, Louisville Courier Journal, 23 Jan. 2026
The lawmakers have refuted those claims, arguing that the probe is an act of political intimidation.
—Elena Moore, NPR, 23 Jan. 2026
Matt Emma, USA Today, 24 Jan. 2026
Deputy District Attorney Scott Pirrello told jurors that Bushey had a history of acting hostile toward family members and that his sister’s abrupt presence in the home set him off, leading him to act out and her to fear for her safety.
—City News Service, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for act
Noun
The act of lifting heavy snow can raise blood pressure acutely during the lift.
—Marina Johnson, Louisville Courier Journal, 23 Jan. 2026
The lawmakers have refuted those claims, arguing that the probe is an act of political intimidation.
—Elena Moore, NPR, 23 Jan. 2026
Verb
Together, these neurons act like tiny pins on a mental map, marking meaningful locations and stitching them into an internal representation of space.
—Matt Emma, USA Today, 24 Jan. 2026
Deputy District Attorney Scott Pirrello told jurors that Bushey had a history of acting hostile toward family members and that his sister’s abrupt presence in the home set him off, leading him to act out and her to fear for her safety.
—City News Service, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for act
Recent Examples of Synonyms for act
Noun
-
Wellness clinics are increasingly emerging across the globe to help institute better sleep routines and methods for patients.—
Forbes.com,
Forbes.com,
22 Jan. 2026
-
Pottery Barn Cozy Retreat Robe A soft robe is one of those gifts that makes everyday routines feel a little more indulgent.—
Toni Sutton,
PEOPLE,
22 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The Late Show host Stephen Colbert addressed the FCC’s move in one of his later segments on the show on Thursday.—
Siladitya Ray,
Forbes.com,
23 Jan. 2026
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The 2007 Broadway show, based on the first movie, has received a slew of Tony noms and international revivals.—
Jordan Bako,
Vogue,
23 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Provisions in the new law that go into effect this year aim to change that.—
Editorial,
Boston Herald,
25 Jan. 2026
-
While federal law makes Ross immune from being directly sued for assault or wrongful death in Good’s shooting, he could be named as a defendant – and end up in front of a jury – in a suit accusing him of denying Good’s civil rights.—
Andy Rose,
CNN Money,
25 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The updates mark Google’s push toward an agentic web, where browsers do more than display pages and instead help users get things done faster.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
29 Jan. 2026
-
These are the signature Big Think dialogues that slow things down, ditch the script, and reveal how great minds actually think.—
Daphne Koller,
Big Think,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The administration is playing a blame game over the initial characterization of Pretti, Axios reports.—
Burgess Everett,
semafor.com,
28 Jan. 2026
-
Dak already has shot past the championship game deadline in that no other quarterback has ever begun his career with a team and played 10 seasons without reaching the NFC or AFC title game, then reached a Super Bowl with that team later in his career.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
28 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The ultimate goal is to have sophisticated agents that work autonomously with very little user interaction.—
Arjun Kharpal,
CNBC,
24 Jan. 2026
-
That requires policymakers to distinguish between ideas that sound compassionate and policies that work.—
J.D. Hayworth,
Boston Herald,
24 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Why would a shark’s metabolism stay flat during a process that seems, intuitively, expensive?—
Melissa Cristina Márquez,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
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His face seemed to flash through colors, his cheeks rouged, then went pink, then yellow.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Robert Gleason, lead of parent advisory at the Rady Gender Clinic, noted that San Diego’s only medical center dedicated to serving children and adolescents created the resource only a decade ago and only after many years of advocacy from families.—
Paul Sisson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
25 Jan. 2026
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Our demand for power is vast, not least because of the enormous appetite of LLMs served by massive data centers.—
John Werner,
Forbes.com,
25 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Act.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/act. Accessed 30 Jan. 2026.
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