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
Friends and family say Wright acted out throughout the trial, including missing previous court dates and removing himself from the stand.
—
Wcco Staff, CBS News, 20 Apr. 2026
This reality means that the environmental review angle can be an effective veto over development by NIMBY groups and others acting out of ideological rather than environmentally-conscious concerns.
—New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 7 Apr. 2026
If previous records massaged her hedonism into silky, professional-grade pop, the sound on WOR$T GIRL is all sinew and scrap metal, a leaner and meaner vehicle for acting out.
—Harry Tafoya, Pitchfork, 2 Apr. 2026
Particularly when your partner has to act out romantic scenes with someone else.
—Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 30 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for act out
Wcco Staff, CBS News, 20 Apr. 2026
This reality means that the environmental review angle can be an effective veto over development by NIMBY groups and others acting out of ideological rather than environmentally-conscious concerns.
—New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 7 Apr. 2026
If previous records massaged her hedonism into silky, professional-grade pop, the sound on WOR$T GIRL is all sinew and scrap metal, a leaner and meaner vehicle for acting out.
—Harry Tafoya, Pitchfork, 2 Apr. 2026
Particularly when your partner has to act out romantic scenes with someone else.
—Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 30 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for act out
Recent Examples of Synonyms for act out
Verb
-
However, all of the city’s fire stations seemingly disobeyed the mayor by lowering their flags.—
R. Christian Smith,
Chicago Tribune,
29 Apr. 2026
-
Trump had to relent on a scheme to prosecute Fed Chair Jerome Powell for disobeying White House commands to cut interest rates.—
David Frum,
The Atlantic,
26 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Their daughter, Veronica, has carried on their legacy.—
James Horncastle,
New York Times,
7 May 2026
-
They were meant to be flying thousands of kilometers to find a mate and carry on their genetic line.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
6 May 2026
Verb
-
Baye continued acting up until 2023.—
Kimberlee Speakman,
PEOPLE,
18 Apr. 2026
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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
Verb
-
Embracing a visual vocabulary of the lowbrow and the rudimentary is a tried-and-true method of rebelling against a culture that feels vapid or corporatized.—
Kyle Chayka,
New Yorker,
6 May 2026
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As a young woman, my mother rebelled against this laborious femininity, mostly wearing jeans and loose men’s shirts.—
Benny Peterson,
Vogue,
4 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Act out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/act%20out. Accessed 12 May. 2026.
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