as in to misconduct
to behave badly
because his parents spent so much time with his chronically ill sister, the boy resorted to acting out in order to get attention
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Recent Examples of act out
The plaintiffs claim the administration is acting out of racial animus.
—
Miami Herald Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 6 Feb. 2026
Read on to find out why your child may be acting out, and when to seek help.
—Melissa Willets, Parents, 5 Feb. 2026
Roper acts out this realization about [Teddy’s allegiance].
—Hunter Ingram, Variety, 1 Feb. 2026
This form of compassion helps prime us to act out our compassionate concern for others.
—Arkansas Online, 28 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for act out
Miami Herald Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 6 Feb. 2026
Read on to find out why your child may be acting out, and when to seek help.
—Melissa Willets, Parents, 5 Feb. 2026
Roper acts out this realization about [Teddy’s allegiance].
—Hunter Ingram, Variety, 1 Feb. 2026
This form of compassion helps prime us to act out our compassionate concern for others.
—Arkansas Online, 28 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for act out
Recent Examples of Synonyms for act out
Verb
-
In one story, the king, Hiranyakashipu, ordered everyone in his kingdom to worship him and was irked when his own son Prahlad, a devotee of Lord Vishnu, disobeyed his command.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
3 Mar. 2026
-
In the internal report, an ICE agent wrote that Martinez appeared intoxicated or impaired and disobeyed verbal instructions to stop and exit his vehicle.—
Bayliss Wagner,
San Antonio Express-News,
22 Feb. 2026
Verb
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For now, retailers who sell kratom products are simply carrying on until they’re investigated by county health inspectors.—
Karen Garcia,
Los Angeles Times,
4 Mar. 2026
-
Gavalas went to the location, and the bot carried on the fiction.—
Brittany Wallman
Updated March 4,
Miami Herald,
4 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Excess dust may also cause your allergies to act up.—
Madeline Buiano,
Martha Stewart,
22 Feb. 2026
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Koutouvides transitioned to life after football, found success in real estate development throughout Connecticut, but the pain of losing the Super Bowl twinges and acts up like an old joint injury.—
Dom Amore,
Hartford Courant,
8 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
During the rule of Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi Kurds were marginalized and repressed and sometimes rebelled.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
4 Mar. 2026
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Her father, who as a teenager in Tallinn began to rebel against Sovietization, insisted on teaching Stasevska and her two younger brothers to speak Ukrainian at home.—
Tim Greiving,
Los Angeles Times,
27 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Act out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/act%20out. Accessed 10 Mar. 2026.
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