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
Relevance
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
Load levels, temperatures, events, alarm histories, battery status and more are all monitored in real-time, and once any measured parameter strays outside of normal levels, the urgency of an onsite intervention can be quantified and acted upon.
—
Big Think, 24 Feb. 2026
European leaders have also acted as guarantors of Ukrainian interests in the tortuous peace talks process.
—Kevin Shalvey, ABC News, 24 Feb. 2026
Moddelmog, citing the investigation, said the organization believes Lum acted alone.
—Savannah Sicurella, AJC.com, 24 Feb. 2026
The people listed on the website did not work at the company, and Freeburg acted as if the company was owned by his 87-year-old father who lived in Florida until 2023, and who denied being involved in E-Motors, documents say.
—Wcco Staff, CBS News, 23 Feb. 2026
The volunteers were looking for clues tied to a masked suspect, who may or may not have acted alone.
—Michael Ruiz, FOXNews.com, 23 Feb. 2026
Maekar, having seen how terribly Aerion acted during the tourney, hoped some time there would change his son for the better.
—James Grebey, Vulture, 23 Feb. 2026
The UConn athletic department acted fast after coach Dan Hurley – and Georgetown coach Ed Cooley – commented on the lack of enthusiasm from the home crowd and some empty seats at men’s basketball games this season.
—Joe Arruda, Hartford Courant, 17 Feb. 2026
Sixteen months before the shooting, in May 2023, law enforcement acted on a tip from the FBI after a shooting threat was made online concerning an elementary school.
—Jeff Martin, Los Angeles Times, 17 Feb. 2026
Big Think, 24 Feb. 2026
European leaders have also acted as guarantors of Ukrainian interests in the tortuous peace talks process.
—Kevin Shalvey, ABC News, 24 Feb. 2026
Moddelmog, citing the investigation, said the organization believes Lum acted alone.
—Savannah Sicurella, AJC.com, 24 Feb. 2026
The people listed on the website did not work at the company, and Freeburg acted as if the company was owned by his 87-year-old father who lived in Florida until 2023, and who denied being involved in E-Motors, documents say.
—Wcco Staff, CBS News, 23 Feb. 2026
The volunteers were looking for clues tied to a masked suspect, who may or may not have acted alone.
—Michael Ruiz, FOXNews.com, 23 Feb. 2026
Maekar, having seen how terribly Aerion acted during the tourney, hoped some time there would change his son for the better.
—James Grebey, Vulture, 23 Feb. 2026
The UConn athletic department acted fast after coach Dan Hurley – and Georgetown coach Ed Cooley – commented on the lack of enthusiasm from the home crowd and some empty seats at men’s basketball games this season.
—Joe Arruda, Hartford Courant, 17 Feb. 2026
Sixteen months before the shooting, in May 2023, law enforcement acted on a tip from the FBI after a shooting threat was made online concerning an elementary school.
—Jeff Martin, Los Angeles Times, 17 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for acted
Verb
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Division 1 In the spirit of the Highlanders, Helix High School senior Delise Jartu played bagpipes in a Scottish outfit before the game.—
Glae Thien,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
22 Feb. 2026
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His role, Reggie Porter Montgomery, was originally played by the late Chadwick Boseman — his future Black Panther costar — who was fired after just one week on set for criticizing Reggie's character arc for playing into racial stereotypes.—
Shania Russell,
Entertainment Weekly,
22 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The couple moved to the Middle East and worked as pastor and pastor’s wife, ministering to expatriates, learning Arabic and homeschooling their growing brood.—
Rachel Clarke,
CNN Money,
22 Feb. 2026
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Some groups like Ramapo and the DNA Doe Project, a pioneering nonprofit that has worked with law enforcement agencies and medical examiners to help solve more than 150 cases using genetic genealogy, rely in part or entirely on networks of volunteers for their genealogy work and do it at no cost.—
Tim Stelloh,
NBC news,
21 Feb. 2026
Verb
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On the Democratic side, Porter seemed to be the leading gubernatorial candidate last summer.—
David Mark,
The Washington Examiner,
27 Feb. 2026
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Two and a half months ago, when Diggs faced strangulation and assault charges that seemed to threaten his immediate football future, the Patriots stood with their star receiver by releasing an atypically strong statement.—
Andrew Callahan,
Boston Herald,
26 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Alternatively, paddle or trek to Yau Ley Seafood Restaurant on Sai Kung, where the catch of the day is served with a side of authentic and family-friendly Hong Kong charm.—
Condé Nast Traveler,
Condé Nast Traveler,
22 Feb. 2026
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Northwood’s culinary students were always churning out great food — lasagna, chicken cordon bleu, and Cornish hens served in warm nests of baked bread — and no one wanted to miss the meals.—
Keith O'Brien,
Rolling Stone,
22 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Investigators say at least 21 boys were catfished and sextorted after Zachariah Meyers, an 18-year-old Peters Township High School senior, pretended to be an adult film star from the Netherlands, with at least 14 teenagers sending pornographic pictures of themselves.—
Chilekasi Adele,
CBS News,
24 Feb. 2026
-
Then, an experimenter presented the bonobo with two empty, transparent cups and pretended to pour juice from an empty pitcher into each cup.—
Amarachi Orie,
CNN Money,
9 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Sos mocked me for spending way too much time trying to master what seemed like a very niche skill.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
19 Feb. 2026
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In the Seventies, he was mocked as a Vegas has-been in a jumpsuit; in the Eighties, as a cultural colonizer.—
Rob Sheffield,
Rolling Stone,
19 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The Arena is Princess’ newest incarnation of the typical cruise ship theater space, where up to 900 passengers can watch the twice-nightly show performed on a revolving stage.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
25 Feb. 2026
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For instance, O’Leary, Okonma, and Iyer are used to being on camera, albeit as themselves; Grimstad, as a professor, is a longtime public speaker; Caton has often performed his music onstage and on TV.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
25 Feb. 2026
Verb
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For nine months, the device operated in the harsh radiation environment of space.—
Rupendra Brahambhatt,
Interesting Engineering,
21 Feb. 2026
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What emerged, Jackson told the court Thursday, was the portrait of a transient and calculating offender who operated across multiple states and evaded law enforcement for years.—
Austin Sanders,
Austin American Statesman,
21 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Acted.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/acted. Accessed 27 Feb. 2026.
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