acted

Definition of actednext
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 suit further alleges that MC2 Model Management—a firm co-founded by Epstein — acted as a cover for trafficking, using Bank of America accounts to recruit young women under the guise of modeling opportunities. Chase Jordan, Charlotte Observer, 17 Mar. 2026 This marks the second time in March that a Florida public university has acted against a Republican student group over racist or antisemitic conduct. Los Angeles Times, 17 Mar. 2026 The Guardians believe Barrington acted in bad faith by filing his applications as the media speculated that Spiders might be the new name. Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 17 Mar. 2026 The lawsuit argues the university acted after a member of the group expressed views off campus that critics said were antisemitic. Garrett Shanley, Miami Herald, 16 Mar. 2026 The Shark Tank star acted alongside Chalamet in Marty Supreme. Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 16 Mar. 2026 Her arrest came less than a week after Khalil, a 31-year-old graduate student at Columbia University who had acted as a spokesperson for the university’s encampments, was detained by federal agents at his Morningside Heights student apartment on March 8, 2025. Zoe Sottile, CNN Money, 16 Mar. 2026 Federal authorities said the shooter acted alone and was targeting ICE agents and did not intend to harm detainees. Aarón Torres, Dallas Morning News, 15 Mar. 2026 To our incredible cast of first-timers, people who had never acted before and never really imagined themselves on the big screen. Matt Grobar, Deadline, 15 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for acted
Verb
  • Following in the footsteps of social-media-savvy churches such as Hillsong, in Los Angeles, Mercy Culture had a worship band that played earnest, anthemic rock, and its pastors wore skinny jeans.
    Rachel Monroe, New Yorker, 15 Mar. 2026
  • The Wild played a second consecutive game without forward Bobby Brink, who was injured and scored a goal in his home debut with the Wild last Tuesday versus Utah.
    Jess Myers, Twin Cities, 15 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • De Jesus worked around a one-out single and walk with a pair of strikeouts to strand two runners in the fourth.
    Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 15 Mar. 2026
  • In 2025, Leidos also worked with VML to develop Imperium, an artificial intelligence platform designed to support US information operations.
    Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 14 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • In the prefrontal cortex, which regulates mood, the drug seemed to prompt brain cells to grow new branch-like projections that help neurons connect with one another.
    Clayton Dalton, New Yorker, 13 Mar. 2026
  • Before the start of the war, the California economy seemed poised for strong growth despite a lagging jobs market that has seen multiple employers — including several major tech companies such as Google, Block and Autodesk — slash payrolls by the thousands.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 13 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • The attack on the Michigan synagogue took place on the same day as a former Army National Guard member who served years in prison for attempting to aid the Islamic State group opened fire on a classroom at Old Dominion University in Virginia, killing one person and wounding two others.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 16 Mar. 2026
  • But that skepticism served as fuel for some Horned Frogs like leading scorer David Punch.
    Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 16 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • Moïse told jurors she was shot first, then pretended to be dead.
    Tania Francois, CBS News, 12 Mar. 2026
  • The fake store contained an app that pretended to come from Brazil’s social security system, which Kaspersky analyzed and found to be malicious.
    Michael Kan, PC Magazine, 10 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • The fact that the team is almost entirely composed of Americans with Italian heritage is by now well-known and lovingly mocked on both sides of the Atlantic.
    Sara Germano, Sportico.com, 13 Mar. 2026
  • Quotas, speech codes and identity politics now mocked as woke and un-American, often defied common sense.
    Maurice O'Sullivan, The Orlando Sentinel, 11 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • But the autopsy was not performed until three days later, and even the country’s top pathologist could not say where the president’s body had been kept during that time.
    Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 17 Mar. 2026
  • Its Best Picture rival performed well but reached a smaller audience, and that disparity can work against a film late in awards season.
    Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 17 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • Jaguars senior Valentine operated from the mid-post like a certain Joker who plays a few miles down the road, stacking dimes on silver platters and scoring 13 points around the rim.
    Luca Evans, Denver Post, 15 Mar. 2026
  • Why owning detention sites is beneficial Separately, ICE uses roughly 30 existing immigrant detention sites nationwide that are owned and operated by private contractors that the federal agency has paid to do so.
    Anna Giaritelli, The Washington Examiner, 15 Mar. 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Acted.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/acted. Accessed 20 Mar. 2026.

More from Merriam-Webster on acted

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster