acting 1 of 3

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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

acting

2 of 3

verb

present participle of act
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as in serving
to have a certain purpose the tail feathers of woodpeckers act as props while the birds excavate tree trunks for insects

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5
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

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acting

3 of 3

noun

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
Adjective
The acting is masterful across the board, and the filmmaking is gorgeous. Jackie Strause, HollywoodReporter, 1 Oct. 2025 What does your little sister think of your acting career? Sam Reed, Glamour, 1 Oct. 2025
Verb
Maria Becerra’s Acting Debut Argentine singer-songwriter Maria Becerra has made acting debut on Netflix’s new series En El Barro, the spin-off of the series El Marginal, produced by Netflix and Underground, a division of Telemundo Studios. Griselda Flores, Billboard, 23 Aug. 2025 The project is nominated for three Emmys, including best comedy series and acting nods for Bell and Brody. Ryan Gajewski, HollywoodReporter, 8 Aug. 2025
Noun
The track describes a friendship with romantic undertones that Swift regrets not acting upon. Audrey Gibbs, Nashville Tennessean, 3 Oct. 2025 While Strowman has pursued acting, others like Cora Jade and Mara Sade (formerly Jakara Jackson) have been active in TNA and on the independent circuit. Andrew Ravens‎, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for acting
Recent Examples of Synonyms for acting
Adjective
  • Kay Barnes, a former Kansas City mayor, is serving in the role temporarily, but the county legislature will soon vote on an interim executive to serve until November 2026.
    Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 7 Oct. 2025
  • Bobby Petrino will make his debut as interim head coach in front of more than 100,000 fans at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville on Saturday afternoon.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 7 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Vought, who helped write the policy blueprint known as Project 2025, is playing a major role during the shutdown, including on decisions over whether there are mass layoffs of federal employees instead of furloughs and what funding is cut and what is allowed to flow.
    Sarah D. Wire, USA Today, 3 Oct. 2025
  • George Clooney is playing a movie star, and that was sort of built into the idea.
    Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 3 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • All federal employees who are not paid during the shutdown, whether they were furloughed or remained working, are entitled by law to back pay once the shutdown ends.
    Miranda Jeyaretnam, Time, 8 Oct. 2025
  • Too many working families are being priced out of their own neighborhoods.
    Miami Herald Staff, Miami Herald, 8 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • But even in a wide-open year for Best Picture, Phantom Thread had trouble seeming important enough to be a winner.
    Joe Reid, Vulture, 4 Oct. 2025
  • Footage showed Bass kneeling at Price's side to assess and monitor him, while also seeming to keep him as calm as possible until additional help arrived.
    Angel Saunders, PEOPLE, 2 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Jose David Flores, the club’s infield instructor and first base coach, is in his first year with the team after serving as bench coach the previous three years at Triple-A Worcester.
    Jen McCaffrey, New York Times, 7 Oct. 2025
  • Many high-calcium foods offer more calcium than milk per serving, including sardines, tofu, sesame seeds, soy milk, collard greens, certain cheeses, and fortified juices and cereals.
    Jillian Kubala, Health, 7 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • According to the outlet and several videos circulating on social media, Mojito tricked pedestrians by pretending to inject them with a syringe in a series of viral videos.
    Luke Chinman, PEOPLE, 7 Oct. 2025
  • In the end, no one was pretending, unless pretense paid the bills.
    Lavender Au, The Dial, 7 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Last week, at the Glasgow stop of her Infinity Heart tour, Siwa unexpectedly ejected two fans from the show over a hoodie that featured Siwa photoshopped onto an egg, an image that appeared to be mocking her hairline.
    Shania Russell, Entertainment Weekly, 6 Oct. 2025
  • Following the ruling, Newsom’s press office sent a mocking reply Abbott’s way.
    Callum Sutherland, Time, 6 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • The Brewers ranked a more respectable 12th in slugging percentage, and some of their most dynamic hitters were either not performing or not yet on the team early in the season.
    Andy McCullough, New York Times, 7 Oct. 2025
  • Dupieux’s films always feature prestigious French casts and have become a reference for young cinephiles, performing well at the local box office and selling around the world.
    Elsa Keslassy, Variety, 6 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Acting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/acting. Accessed 9 Oct. 2025.

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