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 Also in 2019 Depp acted alongside Timothée Chalamet in The King, playing the French princess Catherine of Valois opposite Chalamet’s Henry V. Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 Sep. 2026 Those establishments have been notified; police believe Ceesay acted alone and there is no immediate threat to the LGBTQ+ community. Samira Asma-Sadeque, PEOPLE, 2 Sep. 2026 The Legislature has to wait until Tuesday morning to vote on the measure because of a state rule that requires bills to be in print for 72 hours before they are acted on, which is a day later than the body was supposed to be working. Stephen Hobbs, Sacbee.com, 31 Aug. 2026 While some contend the Heat acted with too much haste in extending Nikola Jovic, there seems to be enough there with Pelle to avoid the risk of dealing with free agency. Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 31 Aug. 2026 When integrated with an organization’s systems, the technology can autonomously search for insights on product performance that can be acted on during the selling season. Sj Studio, Footwear News, 31 Aug. 2026 Not included in the bond issue, but also acted on Thursday by the RDC, was a look at the former Garyton School, which has been abandoned for years. Doug Ross, Chicago Tribune, 30 Aug. 2026 The case led in 2022 to investigations of four German museums that in some cases unwittingly acted as intermediaries for sales between the dealers and art museums worldwide. Brian Boucher, ARTnews.com, 25 Aug. 2026 Rather than panic, Bruney remembered a weak spot and acted almost instinctively. Austin Perry Outkick, FOXNews.com, 25 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for acted
Verb
  • Upon the Lincoln’s arrival in the morning, service members could be seen working aboard the deck as loudspeakers played announcements about the process for disembarkation.
    Mosheh Gains, NBC news, 2 Sep. 2026
  • For Jaissle, a defensive midfielder who had preferably played in the Premier League was essential.
    George Caulkin, New York Times, 2 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Unlike the repeatability of CNC production, each Eagle & Summit is individually worked by experienced engraving artisans directly on the titanium surface.
    New Atlas, New Atlas, 3 Sep. 2026
  • The couple bid $5 million, and worked with Central Bank to put in their $10 million total bid.
    Charlotte Phillipp, PEOPLE, 2 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Other Surrealists, meanwhile, seemed to take from animals a license to exploit other (generally female) bodies, as in Clovis Trouille’sJustine(1937), in which both a naked female figure and a lion are bound and captive.
    Kelly Presutti, ARTnews.com, 28 Aug. 2026
  • To the outside observer, the hearing for the soft-spoken man with the graying mustache may have seemed like any other, save for the FBI agents from the public corruption squad sitting in the back.
    Jason Meisner, Chicago Tribune, 28 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • Moody, who served as Florida’s attorney general when the settlement was approved, struck a more reserved note, appearing to distance herself from the investigation.
    Liv Caputo, The Orlando Sentinel, 28 Aug. 2026
  • If inmates served jail time and posted bond, staff were instructed to contact immigration officials, the newspaper reported.
    Rachel Spacek, Los Angeles Times, 28 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • One, a 35-year-old man, pretended to be a San Francisco 49ers player or a wealthy real estate investor, the Department of Justice said.
    Idaho Statesman, Idaho Statesman, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Once upon a time, Republicans understood this, or at least pretended to.
    New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 20 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • Barney & Friends, the enormously popular and widely mocked PBS series about a singing, dancing purple dinosaur, is the obvious touchstone for the children’s-show-as-hellscape in the new movie Buddy.
    Alison Willmore, Vulture, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Trump has all but severed America’s system of alliances, mocked and bullied Ukraine’s president, and showered praise upon Kim Jong Un.
    Jonathan Chait, The Atlantic, 20 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • In July 2026, humanoid robots performed live laparoscopic gallbladder removals on a patient for the first time.
    Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 30 Aug. 2026
  • By using drones to deliver fires, Russia can adhere to its traditional doctrine while replacing many of the roles previously performed by artillery and tanks.
    Vikram Mittal, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • The Horned Frogs operated well when in 13 (three tight ends, one receiver) and 12 personnel and going forward, that position group could be the ultimate chess piece for the Horned Frogs.
    Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 30 Aug. 2026
  • Eight other reservoirs operated by the Bureau of Reclamation recently recorded the lowest levels in at least the last 30 years.
    Wufei Yu, Los Angeles Times, 29 Aug. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Acted.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/acted. Accessed 4 Sep. 2026.

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