as in interim
serving in a position for the time being
will serve as acting president of the university until a permanent replacement can be found
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in entertainment
Related Words
1
as in playing
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
2
as in working
to produce a desired effect
the painkiller acted surprisingly quickly
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in seeming
to give the impression of being
always acting helpless, just to get attention
Synonyms & Similar Words
4
as in serving
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 pretending
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 mocking
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 acting
Kate Hogan, PEOPLE, 26 Dec. 2025
Last week, acting NASA Administrator Sean Duffy announced that the agency would be re-opening the contract for the Artemis III lunar lander, which had previously been let to SpaceX to be fulfilled by their Starship Human Landing System.
—Space.com Staff, Space.com, 25 Oct. 2025
Chad Murphy, Cincinnati Enquirer, 30 Jan. 2026
His acting run continued in August with a role as a gangster in Caught Stealing, which, while less commercially successful, provided another strong entry in Bad Bunny’s growing film portfolio.
—Isabela Raygoza, Billboard, 30 Jan. 2026
Lisa Boone, Los Angeles Times, 1 Feb. 2026
If there's a wolf, that’s a human being on all fours acting like a wolf.
—Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 12 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for acting
Adjective
The New York native's final acting role was as Aunt Bethany in National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation.
—Kate Hogan, PEOPLE, 26 Dec. 2025
Last week, acting NASA Administrator Sean Duffy announced that the agency would be re-opening the contract for the Artemis III lunar lander, which had previously been let to SpaceX to be fulfilled by their Starship Human Landing System.
—Space.com Staff, Space.com, 25 Oct. 2025
Noun
How many acting awards did Catherine O'Hara win?
—Chad Murphy, Cincinnati Enquirer, 30 Jan. 2026
His acting run continued in August with a role as a gangster in Caught Stealing, which, while less commercially successful, provided another strong entry in Bad Bunny’s growing film portfolio.
—Isabela Raygoza, Billboard, 30 Jan. 2026
Verb
Despite his success, Wilson left acting, sold his Bel-Air mansion and Rolls-Royce and became an interdenominational preacher in 1983.
—Lisa Boone, Los Angeles Times, 1 Feb. 2026
If there's a wolf, that’s a human being on all fours acting like a wolf.
—Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 12 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for acting
Recent Examples of Synonyms for acting
Adjective
-
Gary and Klint Kubiak would be the 10th father-son pair to serve as NFL head coaches, including interim coaches.—
MARK ANDERSON,
Arkansas Online,
2 Feb. 2026
-
Venezuela’s interim government announced an amnesty bill releasing political prisoners and signaled willingness to resolve differences through diplomatic dialogue.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
1 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The overwhelming motive for the early fakes was to provide entertainment — about three-quarters of the images in the exhibition were created for this purpose, Rooseboom said.—
Lianne Kolirin,
CNN Money,
5 Feb. 2026
-
The rival bids have drawn scrutiny from antitrust experts and lawmakers, who worry that either death could reduce competition in an entertainment industry already dominated by streaming giants.—
Claire Carter,
The Washington Examiner,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Maybe the girl had crawled under a neighbor's trailer while playing hide-and-seek.—
Kristine Phillips,
IndyStar,
5 Feb. 2026
-
Massey also has experience playing the outfield, which should keep him in a regular role.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
4 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
In Seeking Shelter, Jeff Hobbs exposes the scourge of homelessness that’s tearing apart working families.—
Gabrielle Bellot,
Literary Hub,
2 Feb. 2026
-
The Las Vegas Raiders are working toward finalizing an agreement to make Seattle Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak their head coach, a person with knowledge of the discussions said Sunday.—
MARK ANDERSON,
Arkansas Online,
2 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The View From Los Angeles A year removed from the LA wildfires, many California media watchers have been frustrated by the lack of scrutiny of top leaders, and seeming lack of political accountability for the disaster.—
Max Tani,
semafor.com,
2 Feb. 2026
-
Newsom shakes his head, seeming more mournful than angry.—
Maya Singer,
Vogue,
1 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Brady was notably complimentary of Kubiak while serving as the Fox Sports analyst during the NFC Championship Game last Sunday between the Seahawks and Los Angeles Rams.—
MARK ANDERSON,
Arkansas Online,
2 Feb. 2026
-
Duggan, 38, was the Packers’ linebackers coach for a single season after serving as a defensive assistant to Hafley with Green Bay in 2024.—
Barry Jackson,
Miami Herald,
1 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
But pretending the problem is purely technical misses the point.—
Allen Buchanan,
Oc Register,
31 Jan. 2026
-
Anyway, Amanda brings it up again, pretending to be curious but really just making the distinction known between the other women, who used ghostwriters, and herself, who didn’t but should have.—
Brian Moylan,
Vulture,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The White House had celebrated Lemon’s arrest with a mocking post on X on Friday.—
Brian Stelter,
CNN Money,
31 Jan. 2026
-
The president also shared clips of the video on his Truth Social handle, along with posts mocking and attacking Pretti.—
Siladitya Ray,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Acting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/acting. Accessed 5 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
