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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Examples of act out in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Vestager is not acting out of hatred for the U.S., as former President Trump once accused her of.
—
Pia Lauritzen, Forbes, 11 Sep. 2024
Todd also revealed on their Chrisley Confessions podcast that Braddock admitted to acting out of revenge while testifying at their trial.
—Lynsey Eidell, People.com, 5 Oct. 2024
The couple was afraid that they would be thrown out of the house and that Mullis would mentally relapse and act out on his impulses again.
—Amaris Encinas, USA TODAY, 25 Sep. 2024
Agatha, meanwhile, stays in Westview, acting out various television plots.
—Eliana Dockterman, TIME, 18 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for act out 
Pia Lauritzen, Forbes, 11 Sep. 2024
Todd also revealed on their Chrisley Confessions podcast that Braddock admitted to acting out of revenge while testifying at their trial.
—Lynsey Eidell, People.com, 5 Oct. 2024
The couple was afraid that they would be thrown out of the house and that Mullis would mentally relapse and act out on his impulses again.
—Amaris Encinas, USA TODAY, 25 Sep. 2024
Agatha, meanwhile, stays in Westview, acting out various television plots.
—Eliana Dockterman, TIME, 18 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for act out
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'act out.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Thesaurus Entries Near act out
Cite this Entry
“Act out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/act%20out. Accessed 24 Oct. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share