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 The establishment of the fund comes less than two weeks after a district court judge ruled the Kennedy Center's board acted unlawfully in adding the president's name and in making plans for two years of closure and renovations. Emma Nicholson, CBS News, 15 June 2026 Sarkissian, whose family started one of the first banquet halls in Los Angeles, remembers that his father acted as a friend and counselor to a lot of immigrants who suffered extreme culture shock. Ani Duzdabanyan, Los Angeles Times, 15 June 2026 The judge also ruled that the board had acted unlawfully in approving a two-year closure of the institution for renovations. Tessa Solomon, ARTnews.com, 15 June 2026 Carpiuc acted as a middleman, and Pochynok allegedly was recruited to record video of the fires so Lavrynovych could get paid. ABC News, 15 June 2026 While this winter was colder and snowier than previous years, snowfall on the ground acted much like a blanket for ticks, providing shelter and warmth against the bitter cold temperatures. Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 15 June 2026 The latter group acted as the control group for the study. Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 15 June 2026 Still, some defendants have successfully applied an EED defense in cases that differ from these typical scenarios, including when the defendant was under the influence of drugs or acted based upon a mistaken belief. Nicki Brown, CNN Money, 14 June 2026 Max and Mako's parents also acted aggressively, Cutler told deputies. Natasha Holt, FOXNews.com, 14 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for acted
Verb
  • The smallest nation by size (171 square miles) and population — 158,000, or twice the size of Arrowhead Stadium’s capacity — stood with all fans as the national anthems for both teams played.
    Blair Kerkhoff, Kansas City Star, 21 June 2026
  • Dalal said their son played there daily with his friends, taking advantage of a club policy that allows children under five to enter without a membership.
    Rhea Mogul, CNN Money, 21 June 2026
Verb
  • La Roja needs quicker movement of the ball and its players, more adaptation to what the opponent is doing (Saudi Arabia is not going to play free and open after seeing what worked) and to be more ruthless.
    Patrick Sung Cuadrado, CNN Money, 21 June 2026
  • Elmo Fire Department I‑20 westbound was closed as crews worked the scene.
    Doug Myers, CBS News, 21 June 2026
Verb
  • The championship parade seemed to inspire hope and joy in Knicks fans who waited more than five decades to reach the pinnacle of basketball.
    Mason Leib, ABC News, 18 June 2026
  • Mamdani then issued keys to the city to staff and players, including Dolan and his son, both of whom seemed severely uninterested in a photo op.
    Ryan Morik OutKick, FOXNews.com, 18 June 2026
Verb
  • Rhaenys served as a valuable member of Rhaenyra’s council, even going to stop Ser Criston Cole (Fabien Frankel) from taking Rook’s Rest for King Aegon II Targaryen (Tom Glynn-Carney), so Rhaenyra could stay back.
    Skyler Trepel, PEOPLE, 22 June 2026
  • Burnham served in cabinet roles under former Labour Prime Minister Gordon Brown.
    Kim Hjelmgaard, USA Today, 22 June 2026
Verb
  • In the first incident, the victim pretended to sleep during the attack.
    Harry Harris, Mercury News, 16 June 2026
  • Griffin has never pretended to be a radical innovator or a savant.
    Gary Sernovitz, New Yorker, 15 June 2026
Verb
  • One attack ad mocked Ossoff for playful college-era behavior.
    Jay Stahl, USA Today, 18 June 2026
  • Just days before the opening of the Obama Presidential Center, a professional UFC fighter standing inside a cage erected on the South Lawn of the White House mocked former First Lady Michelle Obama by referring to her as a man.
    Sophia A. Nelson, Forbes.com, 18 June 2026
Verb
  • Zac Brown Band performed the national anthem, and other stars who took part included comedians Nate Bargatze, Shane Gillis and Tony Hinchcliffe, as well as singers Luke Bryan and Kid Rock.
    KiMi Robinson, USA Today, 17 June 2026
  • The measure performed best in central and west Davis, continuing the pattern established on election night.
    Daniel Lempres, Sacbee.com, 17 June 2026
Verb
  • Pakistan has operated as a major mediator in US-Iran talks since a ceasefire was first announced.
    Mitchell McCluskey, CNN Money, 21 June 2026
  • Zelenskyy issued a decree on May 26 naming a military unit of Ukraine’s Special Operations Forces after the Ukrainian Insurgent Army, or UPA, which operated during the 1940s and 1950s and has been accused in Poland of mass killings.
    ABC News, ABC News, 20 June 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Acted.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/acted. Accessed 23 Jun. 2026.

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