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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of act out
Mia is really acting out her character and has butt pads so lumpy that Michelle Visage got up off her couch to come over to the Hamptons to yell at her.
—
Brian Moylan, Vulture, 25 Mar. 2026
But gaslighters don't necessarily act out of pure malice, Sweet says.
—Emma Bowman, NPR, 25 Mar. 2026
Reports from those calls reveal a spectrum of youth behaviors, from hallway bullying to acting out because of problems at home.
—Natalie Eilbert, jsonline.com, 19 Mar. 2026
The still-living members of the Clyburn family act out their heartbreak in a variety of ways.
—Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 13 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for act out
Brian Moylan, Vulture, 25 Mar. 2026
But gaslighters don't necessarily act out of pure malice, Sweet says.
—Emma Bowman, NPR, 25 Mar. 2026
Reports from those calls reveal a spectrum of youth behaviors, from hallway bullying to acting out because of problems at home.
—Natalie Eilbert, jsonline.com, 19 Mar. 2026
The still-living members of the Clyburn family act out their heartbreak in a variety of ways.
—Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 13 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for act out
Recent Examples of Synonyms for act out
Verb
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The Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office charged Nikolas Hart, 25, with six counts, including felony animal cruelty and misdemeanors related to allegations of domestic violence, witness tampering and disobeying a court order.—
Matthew Rodriguez,
CBS News,
7 Apr. 2026
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He was arraigned Monday and pleaded not guilty to one felony count of animal cruelty, one misdemeanor charge each of injury to a spouse or cohabitant and attempting to dissuade a victim or witness, and three counts of disobeying a court order to not contact the victim.—
Alex Wigglesworth,
Los Angeles Times,
7 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Like the iconic gondolas of Venice, these boats carry on a tradition dating back generations.—
Tribune Content Agency,
Baltimore Sun,
8 Apr. 2026
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Jeremy Hansen, Artemis II mission specialist and a member of the Canadian Space Agency, honored the efforts of earlier space explorers as the crew broke the record and implored future generations to carry on their mission.—
Ava Berger,
NPR,
7 Apr. 2026
Verb
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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
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The capsule’s toilet is already acting up.—
Marcia Dunn,
Chicago Tribune,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Dulla Bhatti belonged to a family of local chiefs who rebelled against the Mughal authority by opposing land revenues and taxes.—
Tamanna Nangia,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
2 Apr. 2026
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The House voted to pass a short-term funding patch for the Department of Homeland Security late Friday night, rebelling against a plan from Senate Republicans that omitted funding for immigration enforcement agencies.—
Rachel Schilke,
The Washington Examiner,
28 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Act out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/act%20out. Accessed 10 Apr. 2026.
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