as in to raise hell
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
Blanc specifically acts out moments from John Dickson Carr's The Hollow Man to illustrate the impossibility of the crime.
—
Esther Zuckerman, Time, 8 Sep. 2025
His brittle mum Heather (a heartbreaking and frustrating Shirley Henderson) is barely holding things together as is, and then John starts, well, acting out?
—Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 7 Sep. 2025
Despite their language barrier, Costner did his best to talk to the tribe about buffalo, acting out how the animal would behave.
—Angel Saunders, People.com, 3 Sep. 2025
So Kiritsis, while his plan is undeniably wacked, is still someone who’s been backed into a corner and is acting out of a fury that has justifiably boiled over.
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 2 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for act out
Esther Zuckerman, Time, 8 Sep. 2025
His brittle mum Heather (a heartbreaking and frustrating Shirley Henderson) is barely holding things together as is, and then John starts, well, acting out?
—Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 7 Sep. 2025
Despite their language barrier, Costner did his best to talk to the tribe about buffalo, acting out how the animal would behave.
—Angel Saunders, People.com, 3 Sep. 2025
So Kiritsis, while his plan is undeniably wacked, is still someone who’s been backed into a corner and is acting out of a fury that has justifiably boiled over.
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 2 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for act out
Recent Examples of Synonyms for act out
Verb
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The next day, Alex begs Mia to put her on TMS to talk about the deep fake, but Mia won’t, because that would be directly disobeying Stella and Celine’s order for Alex to keep quiet.—
Kimberly Roots,
TVLine,
24 Sep. 2025
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Hamas has called on residents of Gaza City to disobey the evacuation order.—
Brady Knox,
The Washington Examiner,
8 Sep. 2025
Verb
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There are reasons why certain coaches can establish a culture and a mindset that endures, and enables their players to shrug off those adverse moments and carry on.—
Jim Alexander,
Oc Register,
23 Sep. 2025
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As the lights dimmed at WSA and New York Fashion Week carried on, what lingered was the reminder that true style begins with clarity.—
Essence,
Essence,
23 Sep. 2025
Verb
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In the cold and austere German winter (a far cry from Dakar’s physical and cultural warmth), an anxious Nourou acts up outside a hotel and is accosted by a Polish security guard, setting off a minor chain reaction in which Maja intervenes on his behalf, much to his chagrin.—
Siddhant Adlakha,
Variety,
28 Sep. 2025
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Mature parents do not slap their children across the face for acting up.—
Jeanne Phillips,
Mercury News,
25 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Set after the Norman invasion of England, Rob (Patten) witnesses the execution of his father, a Saxon forester, which incites him to rebel.—
Nick Romano,
Entertainment Weekly,
22 Sep. 2025
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As if a 22-year-old with a trans girlfriend never rebelled against their family.—
Brendan Cole,
MSNBC Newsweek,
20 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Act out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/act%20out. Accessed 29 Sep. 2025.
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