as in raised hell
to behave badly
because his parents spent so much time with his chronically ill sister, the boy resorted to acting out in order to get attention
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 out
Prosecutors argued the brothers acted out of greed, resorting to murder to get their multimillion-dollar inheritances before being cut out of their parents’ will.
—
Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 21 Aug. 2025
At trial, prosecutors argued the brothers acted out of greed, eager to secure their parents' multimillion-dollar estate.
—Robert Alexander, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Aug. 2025
Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 21 Aug. 2025
At trial, prosecutors argued the brothers acted out of greed, eager to secure their parents' multimillion-dollar estate.
—Robert Alexander, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for acted out
Verb
-
The frenetic energy carried on into Saturday night, the climax of the week, the event whence Burning Man gets its name, when the entire city gathers to watch a towering effigy go up in flames.—
Denver Nicks,
Rolling Stone,
14 Sep. 2025
-
In general, those with lithium-ion or lithium-metal batteries should also be carried on board, where flight crews can recognize and respond to lithium battery fires, according to the FAA.—
Eve Chen,
USA Today,
5 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Trump then walked back that threat after markets rebelled, and instead began critiquing Powell’s management of the Federal Reserve more widely—recently targeting its office renovations.—
Eleanor Pringle,
Fortune,
29 Aug. 2025
-
Jordan, now a teen-ager, lives with his mother in Phoenix and has rebelled by becoming a punk rocker.—
Rob Reiner,
New Yorker,
27 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Acted out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/acted%20out. Accessed 16 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share