ACTED UP Synonyms: 61 Similar and Opposite Words

acted up

verb

past tense of act up

as in acted out

to behave badly the two-year-old was acting up in church so much that her dad had to take her outside

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in cut up

to engage in attention-getting playful or boisterous behavior you should have seen the boys acting up when they put on their aprons

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 up And of course, Peterson not playing would have made some wonder if the McDonald’s All-American’s hamstring had acted up again. — Gary Bedore, Kansas City Star, 7 Dec. 2025

Recent Examples of Synonyms for acted up

Verb

Whether defendant Tyler Robinson acted out of political animus could be key for prosecutors seeking the death penalty — or for his attorneys in taking that punishment off the table.

— ABC News, ABC News, 19 Aug. 2026
Whether defendant Tyler Robinson acted out of political animus could be key for prosecutors seeking the death penalty - or for his attorneys in taking that punishment off the table.

— CBS News, CBS News, 19 Aug. 2026

Definition of acted out

Verb

The Arab coins, known as dirhams, are cut up and have similar inscriptions to those found in silver hoards from the 9th century, Nordjyske Museer said.

— Amarachi Orie, CNN Money, 4 Sep. 2026
What parents can do on hectic mornings Nemours recommends doing as much as possible the night before, from setting out dishes to cutting up fruit.

— Ashley Lynch, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of cut up

Verb

Jeanie Buss also wants proof that Joey and Janie Buss disobeyed the 2017 court order, along with an order requiring them to show cause of why they should not be held in contempt of court.

— Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 28 Aug. 2026
Once upon a time, but not so long ago, there was a woman who disobeyed her father by loving another man.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 6 Aug. 2026

Definition of disobeyed

Verb

Kienholz showed off his mobility both as a runner and passer, effectively threw to all levels of the field and made clutch play after clutch play in the second half.

— Antonio Morales, New York Times, 7 Sep. 2026
The Cybercab, which Tesla first showed off almost two years ago, has been in production since April.

— Lora Kolodny, CNBC, 4 Sep. 2026

Definition of showed off

Verb

Zakarin soon left the company, and Herman and agency owner Russell Collins carried on.

— Tom Tapp, Deadline, 31 Aug. 2026
Devers hit a three-run home run in the second inning, Drew Gilbert hit a pair of rally-sparking doubles, and five Giants relievers carried on the momentum that Whisenhunt appeared to be building before his elbow lit up.

— Andrew Baggarly, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of carried on

Verb

Recent developments have made new an old idea that emerged among nineteenth-century intellectuals in tsarist Russia who rebelled against the elite fixation with the West.

— Foreign Affairs, Foreign Affairs, 18 Aug. 2026
That year, Indian soldiers serving the British East India Company rebelled against the British commanding officers, killing many of them and sparking an uprising that spread rapidly across much of northern India.

— Aishwarya Lakshmi, The Conversation, 18 Aug. 2026

Definition of rebelled

Verb

Navarrete reveled with one woman over her husband’s release from a detention facility.

— Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 3 Sep. 2026
Walker wore his Cardinals hat backward, chewed a big wad of bubble gum and reveled afterward in flashing his imitation Liberty Bell bling, the champions chain presented by Ryan Howard.

— Dan Gelston, Chicago Tribune, 17 July 2026

Definition of reveled

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acted (toward)

acted up

acting

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“Acted up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/acted%20up. Accessed 11 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of acted up

verb

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