1
as in played
to present a portrayal or performance of
a local student acted the part of Tiny Tim in our theater company's production of A Christmas Carol
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
3
as in seemed
to give the impression of being
always acting helpless, just to get attention
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
as in pretended
to present a false appearance of
if you act confident long enough, you'll begin to actually feel it
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
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Recent Examples of acted
Ohio's state House passed the Charlie Kirk American Heritage Act in late 2025, but has not been acted on in the state Senate.
—
Jolene Almendarez, Cincinnati Enquirer, 7 Jan. 2026
Authorities acted swiftly, issuing an urgent public alert and launching a search in the woods near her home.
—Outside, 6 Jan. 2026
The building, dating back to 1905, acted as the centerpiece of the historic Hollywood Center Motel property.
—Colson Thayer, PEOPLE, 6 Jan. 2026
Mantello, who also acted with her in the screen version of Larry Kramer’s The Normal Heart, has remained a good friend all these years.
—Baz Bamigboye, Deadline, 6 Jan. 2026
Zannelli assured the public that officers acted immediately, that integrity is of the utmost importance and that the department can be trusted.
—Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 6 Jan. 2026
With first-degree murder charges, prosecutors must show that the accused acted with premeditation or malice.
—Hannah Fry, Los Angeles Times, 6 Jan. 2026
The United States acted alone, using lethal military power inside another sovereign state.
—Jon Duffy, Mercury News, 6 Jan. 2026
Falcons owner Arthur Blank has acted boldly in firing head coach Raheem Morris and general manager Terry Fontenot only hours after the season ended Sunday afternoon.
—Ken Sugiura, AJC.com, 5 Jan. 2026
Jolene Almendarez, Cincinnati Enquirer, 7 Jan. 2026
Authorities acted swiftly, issuing an urgent public alert and launching a search in the woods near her home.
—Outside, 6 Jan. 2026
The building, dating back to 1905, acted as the centerpiece of the historic Hollywood Center Motel property.
—Colson Thayer, PEOPLE, 6 Jan. 2026
Mantello, who also acted with her in the screen version of Larry Kramer’s The Normal Heart, has remained a good friend all these years.
—Baz Bamigboye, Deadline, 6 Jan. 2026
Zannelli assured the public that officers acted immediately, that integrity is of the utmost importance and that the department can be trusted.
—Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 6 Jan. 2026
With first-degree murder charges, prosecutors must show that the accused acted with premeditation or malice.
—Hannah Fry, Los Angeles Times, 6 Jan. 2026
The United States acted alone, using lethal military power inside another sovereign state.
—Jon Duffy, Mercury News, 6 Jan. 2026
Falcons owner Arthur Blank has acted boldly in firing head coach Raheem Morris and general manager Terry Fontenot only hours after the season ended Sunday afternoon.
—Ken Sugiura, AJC.com, 5 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for acted
Verb
-
England only played one warm-up match before the series, against an England Lions team, while McCullum’s attack-minded philosophy has also been questioned amid a number of hapless dismissals during the series.—
Tim Spiers,
New York Times,
7 Jan. 2026
-
After coming out of the game briefly three times in the first half, which ended with Boise State trailing 50-29, Meadow played all 20 minutes of the second half and the entirety of the three five-minute OT periods.—
Shaun Goodwin,
Idaho Statesman,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Dumas has worked for Valero for four years but just moved to the Benicia location from Arizona a year ago, just a few months before the energy company announced a possible plan to cease or idle operations.—
Amanda Hari,
CBS News,
8 Jan. 2026
-
Steve Sarkisian worked for Saban twice at Alabama.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
8 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
There seemed to be a rational acceptance of the outcome.—
James McNicholas,
New York Times,
9 Nov. 2025
-
Soika, a surgeon, unsuccessfully tried to book a rental car to get to Utah for a weekend trip before settling on an option that seemed straight out of Hollywood.—
JOSH FUNK,
Arkansas Online,
8 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Miami's Mario Cristobal served several roles at Alabama from assistant head coach to recruiting coordinator while being part of the 2015 championship that also included Lanning as a grad assistant.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
8 Jan. 2026
-
Warren arrived at Boise State in 2022 and spent four seasons with the Broncos, having previously served as the head coach of the Big Sky’s Southern Utah for six seasons.—
Shaun Goodwin,
Idaho Statesman,
8 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Donna recently moved to Orlando, to Bennie's chagrin – who has pretended not to remember her name.—
Laura Trujillo,
USA Today,
6 Nov. 2025
-
Prosecutors said Montejano pretended to be a teenage boy on Snapchat, asked the girls to meet him in a public area at the apartment complex before forcing the girls into his apartment.—
Rosalio Ahumada,
Sacbee.com,
3 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Several protesters with megaphones frequently celebrated or mocked the assassination of Charlie Kirk, usually accompanying the taunts with profanity.—
Brady Knox,
The Washington Examiner,
7 Jan. 2026
-
Tesla posted its second consecutive sales decline, losing its long‑held electric vehicle crown to a company the billionaire once mocked.—
Daniel Wine,
CNN Money,
5 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Wearing a Tom Ford tuxedo, the prince posed on the green carpet alongside singers Mendes and Minogue, who both performed at his late mother Queen Elizabeth II's 92nd birthday London concert in 2018.—
Anthony Robledo,
USA Today,
6 Nov. 2025
-
That was when the practice began of parents withholding food from children who performed badly on their pre-exams as an incentive to study harder.—
George Packer,
The Atlantic,
6 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Unlike more public figures of the regime, Martín operated largely behind the scenes, embodying the financial-intelligence nexus that helped sustain the regime amid sanctions and economic collapse.—
Antonio María Delgado,
Miami Herald,
6 Jan. 2026
-
Roland Busch, President and CEO of Siemens AG, described the effort as a shift in how physical systems are designed and operated.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
6 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Acted.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/acted. Accessed 9 Jan. 2026.
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