acted

past tense of act
1
2
as in worked
to produce a desired effect the painkiller acted surprisingly quickly

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

3
4
as in served
to have a certain purpose the tail feathers of woodpeckers act as props while the birds excavate tree trunks for insects

Synonyms & Similar Words

5
6
as in mocked
to pretend to be (what one is not) in appearance or behavior someone who is willing to act the helpless little thing when she wants attention

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of acted Coal, which still supplies about 53% of China's energy mix by Wang's estimate, acted as a crucial shock absorber, allowing the economy to substitute away from oil when prices spiked. Anniek Bao, CNBC, 10 Sep. 2026 Kavanaugh oversees emergency requests from Missouri and acted on his own without referring the matter to the full court. Arkansas Online, 10 Sep. 2026 Louisiana, however, has argued that government regulators acted arbitrarily without proper consideration of health risks. Mary Kekatos, ABC News, 9 Sep. 2026 Meanwhile, the prosecutors argued that Clancy acted intentionally and knowingly. Caroline Blair, PEOPLE, 9 Sep. 2026 This poignant and beautifully acted boxing film starring the great but underrated actor Stacy Keach is among the true classics of the 20th century. Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 8 Sep. 2026 Greg Derr / Pool via The Patriot Ledger Throughout the trial, Reddington argued that Clancy was in the throes of postpartum psychosis and acted on auditory hallucinations that compelled her to carry out the killings. Rebecca Cohen, NBC news, 8 Sep. 2026 Eilish previously acted in the 2023 Prime Video series Swarm, appeared as herself on Sesame Street and hosted Saturday Night Live in 2021. Spin Staff, SPIN, 8 Sep. 2026 California and other states sued to challenge the freeze, and a federal judge ruled the administration had acted unlawfully. Los Angeles Times, 4 Sep. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for acted
Verb
  • Richard Heathcote/Getty Images The 25-year-old was often rotated and played only 2,623 minutes across Ligue 1 and the Champions League but still managed 18 goals and 10 assists.
    Anantaajith Raghuraman, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026
  • Sabalenka held and then played one of her best games of the match, breaking at love to tie it at 4-all.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 9 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • This is a big jump for Fleury, who has never before worked as an offensive coordinator at any level of football, and most recently was the 49ers' tight ends coach for the past four seasons.
    Andrew Greif, NBC news, 10 Sep. 2026
  • To many in the LGBTQ+ community, the notion of unconditional love might as well be a fairy tale; meaningful relationships must be worked for, maintained, and protected—and as such, are rarely taken for granted.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 10 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • And yes, more than 25 teams can be considered CFP contenders, but that number seemed like a reasonable cutoff point.
    Antonio Morales, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026
  • But the offense never quite seemed to get going despite often having a short field.
    Buddy Collings, The Orlando Sentinel, 11 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • According to the trade counsel, the recent tit-for-tat trade actions undertaken by both Washington and Ottowa have served to illuminate the persistence of a trend that stands to continue over the coming months.
    Kate Nishimura, Footwear News, 11 Sep. 2026
  • James as a firefighter and older brother Patrick served in the military in Iraq and Afghanistan before joining a cybersecurity firm.
    Thomas Tracy, New York Daily News, 11 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Police later determined that Bianchi and Buono often pretended to be off-duty police officers to lure their victims.
    Caroline Blair, PEOPLE, 4 Sep. 2026
  • The wild videos of Daejon Love, the 35-year-old man who pretended to be a 49ers receiver.
    Jacob Robinson, New York Times, 3 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • In fact, after the 1993 bombing of the World Trade Center, which killed six and injured more than a thousand people but hardly rocked the buildings, ironworkers mocked the idea that any terrorist could ever take down those great structures.
    Jeff Goodell, Rolling Stone, 11 Sep. 2026
  • He was criticised by Guardiola last season for not challenging Virgil van Dijk anywhere near enough at Anfield in February, and he was mocked by supporters at Old Trafford in January after he was kept quiet by Lisandro Martinez and Harry Maguire.
    Sam Lee, New York Times, 10 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Andy Williams, the pro wrestler known as The Butcher who performed in several promotions including All Elite Wrestling (AEW), died after suffering a medical emergency during a show.
    Ryan Gaydos OutKick, FOXNews.com, 6 Sep. 2026
  • Testing and inspections must be performed at the appropriate stages.
    Javier Campaña Minchong, The Orlando Sentinel, 6 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Federal prosecutors say Singh operated the Round Table Pizza restaurant in Dinuba, a Tulare County city about 30 miles southeast of Fresno, and used the business to distribute large quantities of methamphetamine.
    Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 6 Sep. 2026
  • Election officials would submit voters’ names, addresses, and corresponding barcode information through a portal operated by the federal government.
    David Zimmermann, The Washington Examiner, 6 Sep. 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Acted.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/acted. Accessed 13 Sep. 2026.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster