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 nonprofit Public Citizen noted that Kennedy seems to have acted unilaterally rather than through the typical rulemaking process. — Sydney Lupkin, NPR, 28 Oct. 2026 James initially acted as his own attorney in challenging his detention as unlawful, calling himself a Jamaica native and claiming citizenship in Lebanon. — Ryan J. Foley, The Orlando Sentinel, 27 Oct. 2026 The managers who acted on the data were the ones who already had the instinct and the spare time. — Simon De Baene, Forbes.com, 26 Oct. 2026 In addition, the jury found the two deputies acted with reckless disregard and awarded $10 million in punitive damages. — Richard Winton, Los Angeles Times, 24 Oct. 2026 Serving light bites developed with chef Noof Al Marri, the Qatar Lounge acted as a prelude to the second edition of Art Basel Qatar in January. — Joelle Diderich, Footwear News, 23 Oct. 2026 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 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 Zimbardo acted as the prison’s superintendent, observing and recording the experiment. — Jacopo Prisco, CNN Money, 21 Oct. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for acted
Verb
  • Husted played college football as a cornerback for the University of Dayton.
    — Molly Parks, The Washington Examiner, 26 Oct. 2026
  • But that doesn’t tell the full story either, as Seattle has played part of the season with backup Drew Lock and hasn’t yet lost by more than three points.
    — Scott Chasen, Kansas City Star, 26 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • For decades, Buck and Aikman’s equally dry sense of humor worked, and there was never the slightest appearance of friction.
    — Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 27 Oct. 2026
  • Ichiyama has worked closely with Chinese-language auteurs including Hou Hsiao-hsien and Jia Zhangke, and says the mainland industry changed sharply in the mid-2000s.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 26 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • In my view, the Sentinel seemed to base this on Culver’s suspension from office as the one and only factor.
    — Letters to the Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 28 Oct. 2026
  • Her human slogan machine rap seemed more like a complement to JT’s malleable traditionalism rather than the other way around.
    — Alphonse Pierre, Pitchfork, 28 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Lowndes, who has served as Maitland’s mayor since 2021 and is set to resign Tuesday, said soaring costs for property insurance are a big part of the affordability problem in housing.
    — Martin E. Comas, The Orlando Sentinel, 29 Oct. 2026
  • Instead, the cursor task served as a test of the underlying control interface.
    — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 29 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Prosecutors said Navarrete then drove to his parents’ home with his children and pretended to discovered his parents were dead.
    — Rosalio Ahumada, Sacbee.com, 19 Oct. 2026
  • 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
Verb
  • That may earn her the admiration of her college comrades, but at home, she’s seen as an idealistic naif — mocked, in particular, by her older brother Milan (Miodrag Dragicevic), who is staunchly right-wing in his sympathies.
    — Guy Lodge, Variety, 27 Oct. 2026
  • Utah removed the video and apologized, while ESPN defended McAfee’s safety concerns; online reaction largely mocked his response.
    — Steve Henson, Los Angeles Times, 27 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Two experienced military observers described a silent craft that performed abrupt maneuvers before disappearing.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Previously, Los Tigres del Norte performed at Kamala Harris and Tim Walz’s final rally before Election Day in 2024.
    — Maya Georgi, Rolling Stone, 23 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • The answers depend on how services are operated and the commitments companies are prepared to make.
    — Margot Edelman, Fortune, 23 Oct. 2026
  • The affected rail line, used by trains operated by Metrolink and Amtrak that connect Orange County to San Diego and offer picturesque ocean views, has long been threatened by coastal erosion.
    — Karen Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 23 Oct. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Acted.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/acted. Accessed 29 Oct. 2026.

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