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 Resistant starch has acted similarly to prebiotics and improved gut health. Brittany Lubeck, Verywell Health, 22 July 2026 Those exports have acted as a crucial relief valve for global oil markets as Iran attacks tankers in the Strait of Hormuz. Spencer Kimball, CNBC, 22 July 2026 John Ross Bowie Fans of The Big Bang Theory will recognize John Ross Bowie as Barry Kripke, a fellow Caltech physicist who acted as Sheldon’s frequent rival. Katie Mannion, PEOPLE, 22 July 2026 Literally anyone who’s ever voice acted in The Simpsons or Futurama, Phil Lamarr, Billy West, John DiMaggio, Tara Strong, Grey DeLisle-Griffin. Bethy Squires, Vulture, 22 July 2026 The page has acted as a communal space for updates and calls to action on the issue. William Melhado, Sacbee.com, 21 July 2026 One study found that men who handled a gun for 15 minutes had bigger testosterone spikes and acted more aggressively than men who touched a board game. Adam Stanaland, The Conversation, 20 July 2026 Accordingly, the Court expressly finds that Plaintiffs acted in bad faith. Katherine Faulders, ABC News, 13 July 2026 This is the army’s effort to modernize how battlefield information is collected, transmitted, and acted upon. Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 11 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for acted
Verb
  • The bridge — which connects Detroit and Windsor, Ontario — was named after legendary Canadian hockey player Gordie Howe who played for the Detroit Red Wings, symbolizing the longstanding relationship between the two countries.
    Bonny Chu, FOXNews.com, 22 July 2026
  • Wallack’s critique was echoed by former Beach Commissioner Saul Gross, a real estate investor who has played a significant role in Art Deco district preservation and whose Streamline Properties is on Washington.
    Andres Viglucci, Miami Herald, 22 July 2026
Verb
  • The next season was wiped out to the NHL’s lockout, and when the league relaunched, the new rule changes worked against players like Hatcher.
    Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 23 July 2026
  • Astros right-hander Bryan Abreu worked a perfect ninth for his sixth save.
    Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 23 July 2026
Verb
  • Even after spending hours at the match and, for many, facing a long commute home, people still seemed energized by the experience.
    Meredith Nierman, NPR, 17 July 2026
  • Despite any accolades that may have come, the environment for an independent artist seemed gloomier than ever.
    Marissa R. Moss, Rolling Stone, 17 July 2026
Verb
  • In a statement, historic preservation group Historic KC said the building once served as the headquarters of the Western Newspaper Union, whose services supplied thousands of weekly newspapers through the country in the early 1900s.
    Chris Higgins, Kansas City Star, 18 July 2026
  • In 2023, she was served a restraining order from the district for sharing teachers’ personal information, which was later revoked, according to previous reporting from The Bee.
    Camryn Dadey, Sacbee.com, 18 July 2026
Verb
  • At first, Universal set up that experience with a clever narrative shift that pretended to put guests into a Universal movie after spending the tour learning how they were made.
    Robert Niles, Oc Register, 21 July 2026
  • Barcenas' tea-sipping celebration was a tribute to Alex Morgan, one of the Wave's owners, who pretended to take a sip of tea after scoring in a match against England during the 2019 Women's World Cup.
    ABC News, ABC News, 4 July 2026
Verb
  • Florida State coach Mike Norvell, hailed for building a behemoth through the portal in 2023, is now never-endingly mocked by rivals.
    Gabriel Burns, AJC.com, 15 July 2026
  • Hilton was quickly mocked, with online commenters pointing out that authentic Mexican street tacos are served in soft tortillas, cooked up by street vendors, and that the hard-shell varieties found in a fast-food chain do not count as the real deal.
    Linh Tat, Daily News, 15 July 2026
Verb
  • The state medical examiner’s office performed an autopsy on July 7 and has been waiting for results from toxicology tests, Lynd said.
    Holly Yan, CNN Money, 20 July 2026
  • Laura Pausini, Nicole Scherzinger, IShowSpeed, and Robbie Williams also performed, and Tom Cruise made a special appearance.
    Althea Legaspi, Rolling Stone, 19 July 2026
Verb
  • The aircraft is operated by the private charter division of Qatar Airways, a World Cup sponsor.
    ABC News, ABC News, 19 July 2026
  • During the tests, four live airdrops were successfully conducted over the course of six days using the transport operated by the RAF.
    David Szondy July 18, New Atlas, 19 July 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Acted.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/acted. Accessed 24 Jul. 2026.

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