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.
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Recent Examples of acting
Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 12 Jan. 2026
Rubio currently serves as secretary of State, interim national security adviser and acting national archivist, and was previously tapped for United States Agency for International Development chief before the agency was shuttered.
—Dominick Mastrangelo, The Hill, 7 Jan. 2026
Angelique Brenes, PEOPLE, 9 Apr. 2026
The writing, casting and acting add up to a show that is so good you’ll be inclined to give it multiple viewings.
—Randy Myers, Mercury News, 9 Apr. 2026
Meredith Wilshere, PEOPLE, 11 Apr. 2026
Instead of acting as flaws, these regions serve as energy traps that alter how light is emitted.
—Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 11 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for acting
Adjective
Storrie’s separate interview was the angel on the shoulder opposite of the cheeky devil Williams represented, revealing more about his pre-acting background.
—Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 12 Jan. 2026
Rubio currently serves as secretary of State, interim national security adviser and acting national archivist, and was previously tapped for United States Agency for International Development chief before the agency was shuttered.
—Dominick Mastrangelo, The Hill, 7 Jan. 2026
Noun
Instead, Ball chose to pursue one more acting opportunity after being invited by Moisés Kaufman to perform in a play in Miami.
—Angelique Brenes, PEOPLE, 9 Apr. 2026
The writing, casting and acting add up to a show that is so good you’ll be inclined to give it multiple viewings.
—Randy Myers, Mercury News, 9 Apr. 2026
Verb
In the years since the show went off the air, Per Sullivan stopped acting and chose a private life outside the public eye.
—Meredith Wilshere, PEOPLE, 11 Apr. 2026
Instead of acting as flaws, these regions serve as energy traps that alter how light is emitted.
—Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 11 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for acting
Recent Examples of Synonyms for acting
Adjective
-
Venezuela cannot grow and oil companies will not want to invest if interim president Delcy Rodriguez—Maduro’s former vice president—remains in charge with the rest of the old Maduro regime, Pereira says.—
Jordan Blum,
Fortune,
12 Apr. 2026
-
The first loss — 5-0 to New York City FC — cost Oscar Pareja his job and led to Martín Perelman taking over as the interim coach.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
12 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
South Downtown launches Atlanta's first open container district, transforming the city's approach to downtown entertainment.—
Monique John,
CBS News,
16 Apr. 2026
-
Silver Nova may well attract a more youthful crowd than other Silversea ships, with its larger size, high-tech design, multiple alluring bars and lounges (including a large pool bar), bigger fitness center, relaxed dress code (primarily elegant casual), and more vibrant entertainment.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
15 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Tell me about playing the 9-year-old version of your character and the adult version.—
Brande Victorian,
HollywoodReporter,
15 Apr. 2026
-
Back healthy from her rehab, expectations are high for the Stanford standout, who also stayed busy during the offseason playing in the Unrivaled league.—
Paulina Dedaj,
FOXNews.com,
15 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
After graduating, Jude began working as an assistant on movies and also in advertising.—
Rebecca Mead,
New Yorker,
13 Apr. 2026
-
Both played a key role in bringing the two sides together, were present at varying times throughout the 21-hours of inconclusive talks and have been working intensely to move the process forward.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
13 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Because pain is so subjective—and because of the difficulty in substantiating conditions such as whiplash and soft-tissue damage—surgery had the benefit not just of running up the clinical expense of an accident but also of seeming to ratify its legitimacy.—
Patrick Radden Keefe,
New Yorker,
13 Apr. 2026
-
The entryway is grand and gilded, the staff deferential and efficient (and always greet you by name), but flashes of modern style and edgy attitude save the place from seeming staid.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
11 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
True strength is manifested in serving life.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
13 Apr. 2026
-
For The Times) Bianco emphasized his decades serving in law enforcement in the state, one of his main selling points to Californians concerned about liberal criminal justice policies of past Democratic administrations.—
Seema Mehta,
Los Angeles Times,
12 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Given the dollar amounts of current NIL and revenue sharing agreements, pretending college athletes are not employees is ludicrous.—
Jim Alexander,
Oc Register,
11 Apr. 2026
-
Now, three-quarters of Gen Zers actually associate desk jobs with burnout and instability—and new research from SupplyHouse, shared exclusively with Fortune, shows they’re done pretending otherwise.—
Orianna Rosa Royle,
Fortune,
9 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
When Suzanna, a fledgling psychologist, tells, at Max’s urging, a mocking anecdote about one of her young clients, neither Becky nor the sensitive Andrew get the laugh.—
Greg Evans,
Deadline,
6 Apr. 2026
-
Talkative characters like the froggish Mallow and even Bowser himself are motor-mouthed and sarcastic, nigglingly mocking Mario for his inability to speak in anything other than nods and pantomimes.—
Christopher Cruz,
Rolling Stone,
5 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Acting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/acting. Accessed 16 Apr. 2026.
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