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 Police on Tuesday arrested a suspect in the arson attack that charred the historic city hall in Limoges, in central France, Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin said, adding that the person may not have acted alone. — Arkansas Online, 21 Oct. 2026 Transitioning his rhetoric As a state House member, Talarico acted in line with LGBT activist groups’ priorities on multiple occasions. — Hudson Crozier, The Washington Examiner, 21 Oct. 2026 The academy is asking for an administrative hearing and a determination that the department acted outside its authority. — Cbs Miami Team, CBS News, 21 Oct. 2026 The Secret Service found that nearly all of the attacks were carried out by males who acted alone. — ABC News, 21 Oct. 2026 Zimbardo acted as the prison’s superintendent, observing and recording the experiment. — Jacopo Prisco, CNN Money, 21 Oct. 2026 Every data point must be interpreted, prioritized, integrated, secured and acted upon in time. — Ayush Jain, Forbes.com, 20 Oct. 2026 For Rush, a republic that put citizens to death still acted like a monarchy, treating citizens’ lives as its own to dispose of. — Maurizio Valsania, The Conversation, 14 Oct. 2026 The Justice Department invoked national security only in court filings days after the White House acted against the reporters. — David Folkenflik, NPR, 14 Oct. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for acted
Verb
  • With Rose unavailable, sophomore quarterback Gabriel Webster played in district games against Azle, Denton and Sherman.
    — Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 19 Oct. 2026
  • Armstrong led the Chiefs in receiving yards in the preseason, so he’s played against NFL competition.
    — Blair Kerkhoff, Kansas City Star, 19 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • That pushes marketers toward ideas that have worked before, which is why, Smith says, so many ads look alike.
    — Sam Birchall, Fortune, 20 Oct. 2026
  • To crack the uncrackable, Rittmann’s team worked alongside collaborators from Rice University, Tongji University, the National University of Singapore, and Nanjing University.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 19 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • She had been dismembered into 14 pieces, in what seemed to be a ritualistic manner.
    — Samantha Bergeson, Time, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Products that once seemed outdated can attract fresh interest when creators present them as stylish, useful or different from modern alternatives.
    — Ashley Lynch, Kansas City Star, 21 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • The report analyzes publicly available FBI and immigration arrest data and does not include details of whether charges were dropped or if people served any time in jail or prison.
    — Jaclyn Diaz, NPR, 21 Oct. 2026
  • According to the charges, he was previously convicted of misdemeanor domestic battery charges in Cook County in 2024, and was sentenced to 30 days' time served.
    — Todd Feurer, CBS News, 21 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Tremble’s taunt after his second TD was already coming in for teasing by his teammates postgame, as running back Chuba Hubbard (120 rushing yards, one TD) pretended to be a reporter and asked Tremble about it.
    — Scott Fowler, Charlotte Observer, 18 Oct. 2026
  • Pressed — surely she’s pretended to be sick to get out of a party?
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Critics mocked Zacharia’s performance during her first and last press conference on Tuesday, and ripped her for describing herself as an attorney, despite having never passed the bar exam.
    — Emily Hallas, The Washington Examiner, 16 Oct. 2026
  • The Difference Between Names And Dynamics Richard Feynman recalled being mocked by another child for not knowing a bird’s name.
    — Pravir Malik, Forbes.com, 16 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • The new version of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child has been cut from a five-hour show performed across two parts to a single three-hour performance as it is performed on Broadway.
    — Jake Kanter, Deadline, 17 Oct. 2026
  • Drexler’s comedic sensibility was shaped, early on, by the vaudeville acts that performed in movie theatres in between screenings.
    — Leslie Camhi, New Yorker, 16 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • The service previously operated the EC-130Q for TACAMO duties from 1963 through 1993, according to Lockheed Martin.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 17 Oct. 2026
  • The team’s last-second win over the Philadelphia Eagles last week in Tottenham Hotspur Stadium was organized and operated by the NFL, part of the league’s more standard rotation of all teams playing overseas.
    — Eben Novy-Williams, Sportico.com, 16 Oct. 2026

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Cite this Entry

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

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