acted

Definition of actednext
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 India's regional peers have acted — some going beyond expectations — to get ahead of the inflation curve. Sri Jegarajah,priyanka Salve, CNBC, 3 June 2026 McCarthy hasn't acted much since The Wire ended, as he's been focused on his filmmaking. Derek Lawrence, Entertainment Weekly, 2 June 2026 Watson has played in just 19 of those 68 games, as his salary and the vacuum of picks acted as anchors on Cleveland’s roster. Jourdan Rodrigue, New York Times, 2 June 2026 Historically, Congress has acted to shore up Social Security before the trust funds were exhausted, as was done in 1983. Terry Savage, Chicago Tribune, 2 June 2026 His attorney, Mike Howard, said after the indictment that the defense believes prosecutors will be unable to eliminate reasonable doubt about whether Anthony acted to protect himself during the encounter. Anthony Thompson, USA Today, 2 June 2026 Without radical trust, neither judgment nor visibility gets acted on at the speed the environment demands. Adrienne Down Coulson, Fortune, 2 June 2026 Law enforcement acted on a tip received last week about a cockfight scheduled for Saturday in the 500 block of Franklin Street in Chester, the Pennsylvania SPCA said in a news release Monday. Tom Dougherty, CBS News, 1 June 2026 Republicans have now acted to redraw congressional maps in Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio and Tennessee, with varying degrees of success, while a battle in Utah could add a single additional Democratic seat there. Kevin Rector, Los Angeles Times, 1 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for acted
Verb
  • Kornet played six minutes, missed all three of his shot attempts and finished with only two points, but the block was an epic moment.
    Tim Reynolds, Los Angeles Times, 31 May 2026
  • Ward has played just nine games in left field for OKC this season.
    Bill Plunkett, Oc Register, 30 May 2026
Verb
  • Jared Bednar’s plan worked, and this core executed it with near-flawless precision in 2022.
    Corey Masisak, Denver Post, 31 May 2026
  • The walk-off home run came after the bullpen of the Twins (27-31) had worked four scoreless innings, taking over after a four-inning start from Taj Bradley.
    Betsy Helfand, Twin Cities, 30 May 2026
Verb
  • Complete with glow-in-the-dark buttons and an antenna, the prop certainly seemed less likely to get its owner in legal trouble.
    Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA Today, 4 June 2026
  • But even the comms team seemed evasive.
    Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 4 June 2026
Verb
  • Food and drink Undeniably decadent, with Maldivian lobster plucked straight from the sea and served at every turn—even in the omelette at breakfast.
    Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 1 June 2026
  • While the menu leans into comfort food classics like burgers, hearty breakfasts, and milkshakes, don’t miss the diner’s signature tenderloin, hand-breaded and served on a brioche bun with garlic mayo.
    Lauren Dana Ellman, Midwest Living, 31 May 2026
Verb
  • Samara Weaving once pretended to be her lookalike friend, Margot Robbie.
    Hannah Malach, InStyle, 29 May 2026
  • Faced with one of Musk’s seemingly impossible mandates, those strong employees rarely pretended to already know the solution.
    Preston Fore, Fortune, 23 May 2026
Verb
  • McGuire did say that Hammond would be ready Week 1 if Texas accepted his offer to play in Lubbock or AT&T Stadium after head coach Steve Sarkisian mocked the Red Raiders’ schedule this season.
    Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 28 May 2026
  • For years, the engineer slots have been mocked by theme-park enthusiasts as boring tasks — to the point that it was quietly mocked in a stage show at the recent Orlando Fringe Festival.
    Dewayne Bevil, The Orlando Sentinel, 27 May 2026
Verb
  • Upon his return to Pittsburgh, Negri studied musical composition at Carnegie Mellon University and performed extensively in the local music scene, which included playing with pianist Johnny Costa on the CBS TV station KDKA.
    Edward Segarra, USA Today, 2 June 2026
  • Makeup categories, including lip products, cushions and foundations, followed, while hair care, body care, beauty accessories and wellness products also performed strongly.
    Ryma Chikhoune, Footwear News, 2 June 2026
Verb
  • At Iowa, Clark often operated as both her team's primary scorer and primary facilitator, routinely attempting difficult passes that few players would even consider.
    Jon Root OutKick, FOXNews.com, 30 May 2026
  • Deployed and operated by Daxbot, the robots are evaluating sidewalks, pedestrian pathways and curb ramps, police said.
    Jason Green, Mercury News, 30 May 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Acted.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/acted. Accessed 5 Jun. 2026.

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