as in running riot
to behave badly
because his parents spent so much time with his chronically ill sister, the boy resorted to acting out in order to get attention
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Recent Examples of acting out
Being faced with an unavoidable conflict or having to work versus connecting (think staying in to do chores or homework versus spending time with friends) is the fast-track to acting out.
—
Maressa Brown, Parents, 18 June 2026
The statement accused Blake of acting out of retaliation for an incident that occurred earlier in the lacrosse season.
—Ryan Canfield Outkick, FOXNews.com, 12 June 2026
This natural state of paralysis prevents the body from physically acting out dreams, which could otherwise lead to injury, Drerup explained.
—Daryl Austin, USA Today, 17 May 2026
Rather than acting out on the anger, take a calming moment with some deep breaths, and think about the possibility that your partner was possibly distracted or stressed out.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 16 May 2026
Created by Eugene Pack and co-created by Dayle Reyfel, Celebrity Autobiography features stars reading — and dramatically acting out — excerpts from famous memoirs, leaning into the unintentionally funny, overly revealing and often absurd moments found within their pages.
—Dave Quinn, PEOPLE, 9 May 2026
The company accused Musk of acting out of personal motives.
—Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 29 Apr. 2026
Garcia says, acting out the usual blush of so many bewildered men.
—Darío Gael Blanco, Vanity Fair, 25 Apr. 2026
This reality means that the environmental review angle can be an effective veto over development by NIMBY groups and others acting out of ideological rather than environmentally-conscious concerns.
—New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 7 Apr. 2026
Maressa Brown, Parents, 18 June 2026
The statement accused Blake of acting out of retaliation for an incident that occurred earlier in the lacrosse season.
—Ryan Canfield Outkick, FOXNews.com, 12 June 2026
This natural state of paralysis prevents the body from physically acting out dreams, which could otherwise lead to injury, Drerup explained.
—Daryl Austin, USA Today, 17 May 2026
Rather than acting out on the anger, take a calming moment with some deep breaths, and think about the possibility that your partner was possibly distracted or stressed out.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 16 May 2026
Created by Eugene Pack and co-created by Dayle Reyfel, Celebrity Autobiography features stars reading — and dramatically acting out — excerpts from famous memoirs, leaning into the unintentionally funny, overly revealing and often absurd moments found within their pages.
—Dave Quinn, PEOPLE, 9 May 2026
The company accused Musk of acting out of personal motives.
—Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 29 Apr. 2026
Garcia says, acting out the usual blush of so many bewildered men.
—Darío Gael Blanco, Vanity Fair, 25 Apr. 2026
This reality means that the environmental review angle can be an effective veto over development by NIMBY groups and others acting out of ideological rather than environmentally-conscious concerns.
—New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 7 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for acting out
Verb
-
Baye continued acting up until 2023.—
Kimberlee Speakman,
PEOPLE,
18 Apr. 2026
-
The capsule’s toilet is already acting up.—
Marcia Dunn,
Chicago Tribune,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
One was Buck Strickland, Hank Hill’s philandering boss, who has many of LBJ’s characteristics including carrying on conversations while on the toilet.—
Stephen Rodrick,
Rolling Stone,
16 June 2026
-
Now, Françoise is carrying on his legacy.—
Michael Soncin,
Vanity Fair,
9 June 2026
Verb
-
Santana-Mateo was booked on charges of breach of peace, engaging police in a pursuit, disobeying the direction of officer, reckless driving, failure to obey a stop sign, failure to drive right, failure to obey a traffic control signal and driving the wrong way on a one way.—
Staff Report,
Hartford Courant,
17 June 2026
-
Icarus disobeying his father Daedalus and flying too close to the sun.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
26 May 2026
Verb
-
The musical, which features a rock score, is based on the 1891 play by Frank Wedekind, which follows a group of teenagers in 19th-century Germany who are discovering their sexuality and rebelling against the strict rules set by their parents.—
Caitlin Huston,
HollywoodReporter,
10 June 2026
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These fears lead them to rebelling against the technology overall.—
Staff Author,
Parents,
7 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Acting out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/acting%20out. Accessed 24 Jun. 2026.
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