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
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 Board’s recommendations are advisory, and Meta is not required to implement them, though the company has historically acted on roughly 75 percent of Board recommendations, which makes its response to this particular ruling worth watching.
—
Aditya Jadhav,
Interesting Engineering,
23 June 2026
But the legislature has since acted to bolster local authority to regulate oil operations.
—
Los Angeles Times,
23 June 2026
Moll recorded several singles in the 1960s and acted steadily through 1970 in films made in Italy, France and Germany before dedicating herself to photography.
—
Mike Barnes,
HollywoodReporter,
23 June 2026
These small changes, when acted on, can improve ratings, which can then improve conversion rates, and subsequently improves profitability without requiring you to spend an extra dollar on ads.
—
Usman Ilyas,
Forbes.com,
23 June 2026
Winfrey acted fast, aware of what would happen if the news of the incident went public.
—
Angela Andaloro,
PEOPLE,
23 June 2026
Throughout his trial, Anthony's defense argued the killer acted in self-defense.
—
Kelsie Cairns,
FOXNews.com,
23 June 2026
These teams then acted in cutthroat ways to buy out or otherwise dump them, however, when their play declined.
—
James Mirtle,
New York Times,
23 June 2026
The establishment of the fund comes less than two weeks after a district court judge ruled the Kennedy Center's board acted unlawfully in adding the president's name and in making plans for two years of closure and renovations.
—
Emma Nicholson,
CBS News,
15 June 2026
Aditya Jadhav,
Interesting Engineering,
23 June 2026
But the legislature has since acted to bolster local authority to regulate oil operations.
—
Los Angeles Times,
23 June 2026
Moll recorded several singles in the 1960s and acted steadily through 1970 in films made in Italy, France and Germany before dedicating herself to photography.
—
Mike Barnes,
HollywoodReporter,
23 June 2026
These small changes, when acted on, can improve ratings, which can then improve conversion rates, and subsequently improves profitability without requiring you to spend an extra dollar on ads.
—
Usman Ilyas,
Forbes.com,
23 June 2026
Winfrey acted fast, aware of what would happen if the news of the incident went public.
—
Angela Andaloro,
PEOPLE,
23 June 2026
Throughout his trial, Anthony's defense argued the killer acted in self-defense.
—
Kelsie Cairns,
FOXNews.com,
23 June 2026
These teams then acted in cutthroat ways to buy out or otherwise dump them, however, when their play declined.
—
James Mirtle,
New York Times,
23 June 2026
The establishment of the fund comes less than two weeks after a district court judge ruled the Kennedy Center's board acted unlawfully in adding the president's name and in making plans for two years of closure and renovations.
—
Emma Nicholson,
CBS News,
15 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for acted
Verb
-
The Smith Family Foundation has played a leadership role in Trenton, New Jersey, for a decade.
-
This time green and red shared the spotlight as Algeria played Austria in a Group J match, the final one that determined who would advance to the knockout stage.
Verb
-
Cole Sulser started for the Rays and worked the first two innings, and Casey Legumina, Kevin Kelly and Bryan Baker teamed to cover the final four innings.
-
Carl, 68 at the time of the jackpot, had worked as a technologist, Lulu as a registered nurse.
Verb
-
The legendary German goalkeeper Manuel Neuer seemed well-positioned to catch the ball.
-
The promise seemed straightforward.
Verb
-
Netanyahu, the son of a historian, grew up in Jerusalem’s elite circles and served in the military’s prestigious Sayeret Matkal commando unit.
-
No catch-all dishes, served on individual plates.
Verb
-
Earlier that day, Parker — who had pretended to be pregnant for 10 months — stabbed her pregnant friend Reagan Simmons-Hancock 15 times, then performed a crude cesarean section, cutting the fetus out of her body with a scalpel and removing it from her uterus.
-
In what prosecutors believe was a ploy to keep her boyfriend Wade Griffin, Parker pretended to be pregnant with their child.
Verb
-
Her party has often mocked the country’s efforts to adapt to climate change, and has fought any effort to reduce its effects.
-
The 19-year-old was mocked as a late first-round, early second-round selection.
Verb
-
Among the hundreds of surgeries performed over three decades by ElAttrache, his patients include the four 2024 MLB most valuable player and Cy Young Award winners — Ohtani, Aaron Judge, Chris Sale and Tarik Skubal.
-
The International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery reports that the average number of hair restoration surgeries performed per member in the past year is 178.
Verb
-
Onboard spas are also commonly operated by third-party providers.
-
Another pilot flying into Newark on a United Express flight operated by GoJet Airlines also reported seeing a drone at roughly 2,000 feet, according to ATC audio from around the same time.
Cite this Entry
“Acted.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/acted. Accessed 29 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
