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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of act out
Students will have a hands-on experience through pre-selected scenes that will give them the immersive experience of acting out roles from television and film scripts.
—
Demicia Inman, VIBE.com, 22 May 2025
The new study explores an entirely different hypothesis: Maybe some bosses act out on purpose.
—Daniel De Visé, USA Today, 6 June 2025
However, the dog might also be acting out of boredom, using destructive behavior as a coping mechanism.
—Maria Azzurra Volpe, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 June 2025
Someone inevitably ends up acting out a pineapple or accidentally miming their entire life story.
—Tribune Content Agency, Mercury News, 3 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for act out
Demicia Inman, VIBE.com, 22 May 2025
The new study explores an entirely different hypothesis: Maybe some bosses act out on purpose.
—Daniel De Visé, USA Today, 6 June 2025
However, the dog might also be acting out of boredom, using destructive behavior as a coping mechanism.
—Maria Azzurra Volpe, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 June 2025
Someone inevitably ends up acting out a pineapple or accidentally miming their entire life story.
—Tribune Content Agency, Mercury News, 3 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for act out
Recent Examples of Synonyms for act out
Verb
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Thousands of people were arrested by the LAPD and other agencies for failure to disperse, disobeying a lawful order and other minor offenses following the 2020 murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis, but both the Los Angeles city attorney’s office and former Dist.—
Salvador Hernandez,
Los Angeles Times,
11 June 2025
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Federal judges ruled Thursday that Alabama intentionally discriminated against Black residents when the state disobeyed court orders to draw a second Black-majority congressional district.—
Cheyanne M. Daniels,
The Hill,
9 May 2025
Verb
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There’s no English accent to guide you—no narration at all, except the soft honking of the geese, somehow carrying on amid it all.—
Vince Aletti,
New Yorker,
20 June 2025
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The investing legend expressed his confidence in his successor Greg Abel's ability to carry on Berkshire's culture , which Buffett built so meticulously.—
Yun Li,
CNBC,
19 June 2025
Verb
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Floral and spicy notes bring to mind a meadow in full bloom (without making your allergies act up, thankfully).—
Danielle Sinay,
Glamour,
28 May 2025
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For the first time, Tindall had to act up without his partner over these past two weeks, with Graeme Jones, his fellow assistant, deputising alongside him.—
Chris Waugh,
New York Times,
25 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Wait, there’s a both-sides approach to the company and the workers rebelling against it?—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
25 June 2025
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Newsweek Contributors Debate For decades, Iranians have organized, protested, and rebelled for greater freedom.—
Nuri Kino,
MSNBC Newsweek,
20 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Act out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/act%20out. Accessed 2 Jul. 2025.
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