acted

past tense of act
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2
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
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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 Once the move was official for Iamaleava, the transfer signing essentially acted as the college football equivalent of a trade. Tyler Small, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2025 That prospect flared up for Seoane as the home fans whistled and booed at the final whistle, and became reality on Monday when the club’s board acted. Greg O'Keeffe, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2025 Throughout the history of life on Earth, microbes have acted as master regulators of our planet’s climate system. Katherine Bourzac, Quanta Magazine, 15 Sep. 2025 He's also acted in films like The Toxic Avenger (2023) and The Monkey (2025), as well as episodes of The Afterparty and Yellowjackets. Keith Langston, Entertainment Weekly, 14 Sep. 2025 The actress has acted alongside her husband on two occasions, in recurring roles on This Is Us and Army Wives. Ariana Quihuiz, PEOPLE, 14 Sep. 2025 The Sacramento River acted as a substitute for the Mississippi River. John Turton, Sacbee.com, 13 Sep. 2025 In the end, Frizer was found to have acted in self-defense and officially pardoned by the Queen. Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 8 Sep. 2025 This one may have tugged at your deepest insecurities around intimacy, trust, and vulnerability, pushing you to face the places where pride has sometimes acted as a shield. Dossé-Via Trenou, Refinery29, 7 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for acted
Verb
  • The Pro Football Hall of Famer who played 17 years for the Miami Dolphins is widely considered to be one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time, served as an analyst for The NFL Today on CBS for over a decade and most importantly was in a movie with Jim Carrey and an actual dolphin.
    Bruce Y. Lee, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2025
  • Aduba, 44, played famous detective Cordelia Cupp, who was determined to solve an unexpected murder at the White House, in The Residence.
    Liza Esquibias, PEOPLE, 15 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Rec was founded in 2022 by Birju Kadakia and Rachel Williams, who worked together at Uber in the mid-2010s.
    Tim Casey, Forbes.com, 17 Sep. 2025
  • Getting the final minty shade, one that worked well on all Fitzpatrick skin tones, took more than 20 variations.
    Megan McIntyre, Allure, 16 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • People in neighborhood are afraid, candidates say The Republican candidate seeking Hortman’s seat, real estate agent Ruth Bittner, noticed early in her campaign that people in the neighborhood where Hortman was killed seemed afraid to open their doors.
    Mark Vancleave, Twin Cities, 13 Sep. 2025
  • The August grisly murder of Ukrainian emigre Iryna Zarutska seemed to capture the media for a day.
    Paul Bedard, The Washington Examiner, 13 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Employers Are Rewriting the Rules On College Degrees A degree once served as a shorthand signal.
    Sarah Hernholm, Forbes.com, 17 Sep. 2025
  • Stubblefield had served on both the budget committee and Legislative Council.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 16 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • There was that episode of The Nanny where Fran pretended to be Bobbi Flekman.
    Brian Hiatt, Rolling Stone, 10 Sep. 2025
  • California Schemin’ is based on the true story of two Scottish friends, Gavin Bain and Billy Boyd, who pretended to be a California rap duo, Silibil N’ Brains, to realize their dream of hip-hop stardom.
    Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 5 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Former Golden State Warriors guard Jordan Poole liked an Instagram post that mocked current Warrior Draymond Green's basketball skills.
    Nelson Espinal, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 Sep. 2025
  • Comedians mercilessly mocked their audiences, and audiences liked to punch back.
    Adrienne LaFrance, The Atlantic, 15 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • People in the anxious group performed worse on intuitive decision-making than those in the neutral or positive groups.
    Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 11 Sep. 2025
  • Ryan Cabrera, another millennial favorite, also performed with the band that same night.
    Staff Author, PEOPLE, 11 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • The new displays and interior materials looked and felt good.
    Mark Phelan, USA Today, 11 Sep. 2025
  • On paper, the American team looked formidable, boasting Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, and other stars.
    Tim Corlett, Forbes.com, 11 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Acted.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/acted. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.

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