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
Mia is really acting out her character and has butt pads so lumpy that Michelle Visage got up off her couch to come over to the Hamptons to yell at her.
—
Brian Moylan, Vulture, 25 Mar. 2026
But gaslighters don't necessarily act out of pure malice, Sweet says.
—Emma Bowman, NPR, 25 Mar. 2026
Reports from those calls reveal a spectrum of youth behaviors, from hallway bullying to acting out because of problems at home.
—Natalie Eilbert, jsonline.com, 19 Mar. 2026
The still-living members of the Clyburn family act out their heartbreak in a variety of ways.
—Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 13 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for act out
Brian Moylan, Vulture, 25 Mar. 2026
But gaslighters don't necessarily act out of pure malice, Sweet says.
—Emma Bowman, NPR, 25 Mar. 2026
Reports from those calls reveal a spectrum of youth behaviors, from hallway bullying to acting out because of problems at home.
—Natalie Eilbert, jsonline.com, 19 Mar. 2026
The still-living members of the Clyburn family act out their heartbreak in a variety of ways.
—Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 13 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for act out
Recent Examples of Synonyms for act out
Verb
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However, all of the city’s fire stations seemingly disobeyed the mayor by lowering their flags.—
R. Christian Smith,
Chicago Tribune,
14 Apr. 2026
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The Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office charged Nikolas Hart, 25, with six counts, including felony animal cruelty and misdemeanors related to allegations of domestic violence, witness tampering and disobeying a court order.—
Matthew Rodriguez,
CBS News,
7 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Lillo himself died in 2021, leaving Block to carry on his legacy.—
John Lauritsen,
CBS News,
16 Apr. 2026
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Sumner, Gilbert, and drummer Stephen Morris have carried on, while bassist Peter Hook quit to start his own ace live band, the Light, playing the exact same catalog on rival tours.—
Rob Sheffield,
Rolling Stone,
15 Apr. 2026
Verb
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There is no defeat quite like sitting down for a gaming session after a 10-hour workday, hoping to get your woes out by winning some battles, but your ancient monitor decides to act up.—
Juhi Wadia,
PC Magazine,
2 Apr. 2026
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The capsule’s toilet is already acting up.—
Marcia Dunn,
Chicago Tribune,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Republicans themselves remain divided over how to proceed, with some hard-right lawmakers already rebelling against the shutdown deal.—
Nik Popli,
Time,
7 Apr. 2026
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The citizens of Iran can’t rebel without bridges and electricity.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
7 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Act out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/act%20out. Accessed 19 Apr. 2026.
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