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 Appearing alongside Fry are Elfman, Beach, Jessica Sula, Maria Zhang and Luke Kleintank, the latter of whom also acted in Bones, though his time on that show did not overlap with Fry. — Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 8 Oct. 2026 Her breakdancing and pop-and-lock dancing background also played a role throughout the show, as her moves alongside her all-male dancing troupe acted as an additional instrument. — Joseph Hernandez, Kansas City Star, 7 Oct. 2026 These homes were originally used to house boats, and often acted as fishermen's living quarters in the winters. — Callie Thorpe, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 Oct. 2026 This piece of fashion history acted as a bookend, appearing again in the collection’s final look — honoring fashion’s matriarch from start to finish. — Fiona Sinclair Scott, CNN Money, 6 Oct. 2026 Kidman’s ensemble acted as a rather elevated iteration of her teenage daughter’s look. — Julia Teti, Footwear News, 6 Oct. 2026 Federal officials say the agent acted in self-defense after Good tried to ram him with her car, allegations her family's attorneys allege are false. — ABC News, 6 Oct. 2026 The Daily Telegraph previously reported that Mountbatten-Windsor had asked the court to determine whether Thames Valley Police acted lawfully in searching the former prince’s homes near Windsor Castle and on King Charles III’s Sandringham estate. — Danica Kirka, Los Angeles Times, 5 Oct. 2026 It is believed that the co-pilot likely acted alone, the source said. — Kat Lonsdorf, NPR, 5 Oct. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for acted
Verb
  • Sony Pictures Classics picked up worldwide rights during the festival, and the film has since played Toronto’s Discovery program.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 12 Oct. 2026
  • Unfortunately, the defense hasn’t played all that well, and the offense hasn’t been much better.
    — David Troy OutKick, FOXNews.com, 11 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Then Brice Turang worked a full count and hit an opposite-field double.
    — Maddie Lee, Los Angeles Times, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Rowling is not participating in the doc, which will instead use archive material, her writing and interviews with some of those who have worked with her.
    — K.J. Yossman, Variety, 13 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • On Wednesday, the evening before they were set to dock, the mood seemed far more jovial aboard the ship; sailors were chatting and laughing, some were running a 5K around a deck now free of aircraft.
    — Mosheh Gains, NBC news, 8 Oct. 2026
  • The path to closing the merger was often a rocky one and at times seemed likely to derail.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 7 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Fitzgerald and his wife Zelda are said to have attended at least a few of these parties, contributing to rumors that Lewis and the estate served as at least partial inspiration for the novel.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 8 Oct. 2026
  • El-Sayed, who trained as a doctor and served as Detroit’s top public health official, has campaigned on Medicare for All since his unsuccessful bid for governor in 2018.
    — Kate Wells, Miami Herald, 7 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • The long drives were buoyed by bold play calling, with the Broncos going 4-for-4 on fourth downs, including a trick play in which Madsen pretended to fumble the ball before connecting with sophomore receiver AJ Jones for 7 yards and a first down.
    — Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 11 Oct. 2026
  • To get the tortoise’s DNA material, Jonathan’s veterinarian Joe Hollins pretended to feed him, wedged his mouth open with a hard glove and scraped cells from inside his cheek.
    — Jacek Krywko, Scientific American, 7 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • When the two teams met again, a handful of Bury supporters mocked fans using the disabled facilities.
    — Vanda Mayer, New Yorker, 6 Oct. 2026
  • VanAntwerp has been horrified to see Kirk’s killing mocked online, sometimes menacingly.
    — Jacqueline Ganun, Los Angeles Times, 4 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • With distinct shapes for Bordeaux, Burgundy, Syrah/ Shiraz, Riesling, Chianti Classico, Sauvignon Blanc, Cognac, and Brandy, Vinum shifted how sommeliers performed their duties—and how the rest of us drank wine.
    — Robb Report, Robb Report, 9 Oct. 2026
  • The recycled cells performed comparably to batteries built using materials recovered from conventional fluorine-containing binders.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 9 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • This sonic machine—a pneumatic system operated by wind and air—is partially concealed inside walls.
    — Thomas Patier, Artforum, 9 Oct. 2026
  • The Crown Estate is an independent company established by Parliament to manage a vast portfolio of properties throughout the United Kingdom that is nominally owned by the sovereign during his lifetime but is operated for the benefit of taxpayers.
    — Danica Kirka, Los Angeles Times, 9 Oct. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Acted.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/acted. Accessed 14 Oct. 2026.

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