Synonyms of acted up

acted up

verb

past tense of act up

1

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

• acted out
• ran riot
• disobeyed
• carried on
• rebelled
• misconducted
• misbehaved
• raised Cain
• cut up
• showed off
• kidded (around)
• fooled around
• horsed around
• clowned (around)
• roughhoused

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• conducted
• obeyed
• acted
• bore
• acquitted
• quit
• deported
• contained
• collected
• controlled
• moved
• complied
• handled
• composed
• checked
• conformed
• inhibited
• constrained
• restrained
• demeaned
• comported
• repressed
• curbed
• quieted

2

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

• cut up
• showed off
• horsed around
• clowned (around)
• skylarked
• fooled around
• reveled
• hotdogged
• carried on
• monkeyed (around)
• roared
• showboated
• misbehaved
• roughhoused
• capered
• romped
• larked
• cavorted
• gamboled
• frisked
• wassailed
• caroused
• frolicked
• rollicked
• mafficked
• disported

Example Sentences

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