1
as in to act out
to behave badly
the two-year-old was acting up in church so much that her dad had to take her outside
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to cut up
to engage in attention-getting playful or boisterous behavior
you should have seen the boys acting up when they put on their aprons
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of act up
Bruce, as the stunt shark built to menace them is nicknamed, is acting up and delaying the acting itself.
—
Christopher Smith, Oc Register, 10 Mar. 2026
Meanwhile, the guests, who have literally just arrived five minutes ago, are already acting up.
—Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 10 Mar. 2026
Excess dust may also cause your allergies to act up.
—Madeline Buiano, Martha Stewart, 22 Feb. 2026
Koutouvides transitioned to life after football, found success in real estate development throughout Connecticut, but the pain of losing the Super Bowl twinges and acts up like an old joint injury.
—Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 8 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for act up
Christopher Smith, Oc Register, 10 Mar. 2026
Meanwhile, the guests, who have literally just arrived five minutes ago, are already acting up.
—Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 10 Mar. 2026
Excess dust may also cause your allergies to act up.
—Madeline Buiano, Martha Stewart, 22 Feb. 2026
Koutouvides transitioned to life after football, found success in real estate development throughout Connecticut, but the pain of losing the Super Bowl twinges and acts up like an old joint injury.
—Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 8 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for act up
Recent Examples of Synonyms for act up
Verb
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Some of the most outrageous scenes are between Stacy, who likes to act out, and her forbearing therapist (Will Arnett).—
Anne Thompson,
IndieWire,
4 June 2026
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In the video, Allie dramatically acted out both sides of the conversation, capturing the feeling of trying to extract a straightforward answer from her mom.—
Ashley Vega,
PEOPLE,
3 June 2026
Verb
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Using unseen footage from Presley’s 1969 to 1976 Las Vegas residency, the movie plays the hits – plus The Beatles and Simon & Garfunkel – but also showcases his sense of humor, quipping with crowds and cutting up with bandmates.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
12 June 2026
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And so they were cut up into pieces.—
Michael Soncin,
Vanity Fair,
9 June 2026
Verb
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In addition, referees were instructed to apply the rules regarding fouls and misconducts more strictly – a move meant to protect players and their inventiveness.—
Cesar R. Torres,
The Conversation,
26 May 2026
Verb
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In its first international friendly since March, the US showed off slick offense in a 3-2 win over Senegal in Charlotte, North Carolina, on May 31.—
Jim Sciutto,
CNN Money,
8 June 2026
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Airbnb Experiences offers hands-on activities in thousands of cities, and Showaround matches you with locals who simply want to show off their city.—
Hanna Wickes,
Miami Herald,
8 June 2026
Verb
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In 2024, the agency claimed that X security staff sometimes had to pointedly disobey Musk in order to remain in compliance.—
Ashley Belanger,
ArsTechnica,
4 June 2026
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Jakubowski faces charges of second-degree reckless endangerment, risk of injury to a minor, reckless driving, interfering with an officer, improper use of maker plates, possession of drug paraphernalia, disobeying the signal of an officer and failure to maintain the proper lane.—
Justin Muszynski,
Hartford Courant,
29 May 2026
Verb
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Ortiz navigated past 17 other horses around the final turn and made a hard charge down the stretch.—
Stephen Whyno,
The Orlando Sentinel,
3 May 2026
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Ortiz navigated past 17 other horses around the final turn and made a hard charge down the stretch.—
Stephen Whyno,
Chicago Tribune,
2 May 2026
Verb
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His entrance in the race shakes up a field that already had high-profile local politicians vying to carry on Wilson’s torch.—
Claire Heddles,
Miami Herald,
11 June 2026
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Might Ronaldo carry on beyond scoring 1,000 goals and try to be involved at 45?—
James Horncastle,
New York Times,
10 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Act up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/act%20up. Accessed 14 Jun. 2026.
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