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
Dominick Mastrangelo, The Hill, 7 Jan. 2026
The dual album nature of the tour – along with Grande's recent acting interlude – creates seemingly endless set list options.
—Anna Kaufman, USA Today, 5 Jan. 2026
Nate Jones, Vulture, 20 Mar. 2026
Hollywood icon Steve McQueen urged Norris to take acting classes and pivot to leading roles.
—Daniel Arkin, NBC news, 20 Mar. 2026
Dan Bilefsky, HollywoodReporter, 21 Mar. 2026
Brendon took up acting as a way to overcome his stutter.
—Bethy Squires, Vulture, 21 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for acting
Adjective
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
The dual album nature of the tour – along with Grande's recent acting interlude – creates seemingly endless set list options.
—Anna Kaufman, USA Today, 5 Jan. 2026
Noun
Weapons, a horror flick released in the dog days of August, won an acting trophy!
—Nate Jones, Vulture, 20 Mar. 2026
Hollywood icon Steve McQueen urged Norris to take acting classes and pivot to leading roles.
—Daniel Arkin, NBC news, 20 Mar. 2026
Verb
Meanwhile, members of Blackpink have helped expand K-pop’s scope, projecting Korea’s already glittering brand onto Paris runways, acting as brand ambassadors for Chanel and Dior and helping K-pop evolve in the American imagination from a niche boy-band phenomenon into a broader cultural engine.
—Dan Bilefsky, HollywoodReporter, 21 Mar. 2026
Brendon took up acting as a way to overcome his stutter.
—Bethy Squires, Vulture, 21 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for acting
Recent Examples of Synonyms for acting
Adjective
-
In a March 13 reply brief, the government argued that federal law allows the attorney general to make successive 120-day interim appointments when vacancies persist.—
Kaelan Deese,
The Washington Examiner,
22 Mar. 2026
-
Manager Brandon Hyde was fired in May 2025, and Tony Mansolino finished the season as the interim manager.—
Adam Thompson,
CBS News,
22 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Even as Queen City Quarter struggles to attract new businesses, three of its tenants face eviction for unpaid rent at the former Epicentre food and entertainment complex in uptown Charlotte.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
25 Mar. 2026
-
That the campaign has become a grind, with little entertainment on offer and an intransigence in the manager’s approach, has added to the sense of angst.—
Matt Woosnam,
New York Times,
25 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Kevin MacEgan, the couple’s eldest son, said his parents were victimized in this manner because of the choices made by Abril — and by the CHP, to approach Abril in a park filled with children playing baseball and other visitors.—
Rosalio Ahumada,
Sacbee.com,
26 Mar. 2026
-
After playing baseball in college and a short stint in the minors, Jerry Lewis started his own business to help other aspiring entrepreneurs, particularly those who had been incarcerated or in gangs, to launch their own companies, his son said.—
Tess Kenny,
Chicago Tribune,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Since then, space access has become less of a contest, with hundreds of countries working together, said Geoff Notkin, former president of the National Space Society, a space advocacy nonprofit.—
Sarah D. Wire,
USA Today,
23 Mar. 2026
-
That includes donations from the labor union for air traffic controllers, whose jobs are not impacted by this partial shutdown but who understand the strain of working without pay from full government closures.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
23 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The deposition Thursday comes as the House Oversight Committee attempts to zero in on members of Epstein's inner circle to better understand how the disgraced financier was able to commit decades of crime with seeming impunity.—
Peter Charalambous,
ABC News,
19 Mar. 2026
-
Third, boys of all ages avoided seeming atypical from their gender group, actively distancing themselves from anything feminine.—
Adam Stanaland,
The Conversation,
19 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Mound salad on top of galette just before serving.—
Rebecca Firkser,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
23 Mar. 2026
-
The judge also blocked Kennedy's 13 appointees from serving on the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), finding the panel unlawfully constituted.—
Mary Walrath-Holdridge,
USA Today,
22 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
An unremarkable skit with host Tina Fey pretending to be Mary Poppins.—
Scott Bryan,
Variety,
22 Mar. 2026
-
Investigators say the suspect is a non‑student who may be approaching people near the Music Building while pretending to be a student.—
Doug Myers,
CBS News,
21 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
True, Shakespeare had added the characters of Touchstone and Jacques, thus mocking the sport of love and misting it in disillusionment; but most of the plot is pure Lodge.—
Anthony Lane,
New Yorker,
22 Mar. 2026
-
The situation reached a breaking point when Sullivan started mocking and insulting Morgan’s wife, the journalist and author Celia Walden.—
Elsa Keslassy,
Variety,
19 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Acting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/acting. Accessed 27 Mar. 2026.
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