1
as in acting out
to behave badly
the two-year-old was acting up in church so much that her dad had to take her outside
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in cutting up
to engage in attention-getting playful or boisterous behavior
you should have seen the boys acting up when they put on their aprons
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of acting up
Bruce, as the stunt shark built to menace them is nicknamed, is acting up and delaying the acting itself.
—
Christopher Smith, Oc Register, 10 Mar. 2026
Meanwhile, the guests, who have literally just arrived five minutes ago, are already acting up.
—Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 10 Mar. 2026
Likewise, when the young men started acting up, Josephine Holt took a keen interest in her newspaper.
—Literary Hub, 21 Jan. 2026
If your trackpad is acting up, keyboard shortcuts can keep you productive without fighting the cursor.
—Ken Colburn, AZCentral.com, 19 Jan. 2026
Its general sensibility seems more Superstore than The Office, down to the interstitial montages of customers acting up in the perpetually overcrowded waiting room.
—Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 13 Oct. 2025
Sturm said his back started acting up after the team’s first practice.
—Michael Russo, New York Times, 1 Oct. 2025
Mature parents do not slap their children across the face for acting up.
—Jeanne Phillips, Mercury News, 25 Sep. 2025
Then the engine started acting up, which would have cost up to $10,000 to fix.
—Shannon Pettypiece, NBC news, 22 Sep. 2025
Christopher Smith, Oc Register, 10 Mar. 2026
Meanwhile, the guests, who have literally just arrived five minutes ago, are already acting up.
—Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 10 Mar. 2026
Likewise, when the young men started acting up, Josephine Holt took a keen interest in her newspaper.
—Literary Hub, 21 Jan. 2026
If your trackpad is acting up, keyboard shortcuts can keep you productive without fighting the cursor.
—Ken Colburn, AZCentral.com, 19 Jan. 2026
Its general sensibility seems more Superstore than The Office, down to the interstitial montages of customers acting up in the perpetually overcrowded waiting room.
—Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 13 Oct. 2025
Sturm said his back started acting up after the team’s first practice.
—Michael Russo, New York Times, 1 Oct. 2025
Mature parents do not slap their children across the face for acting up.
—Jeanne Phillips, Mercury News, 25 Sep. 2025
Then the engine started acting up, which would have cost up to $10,000 to fix.
—Shannon Pettypiece, NBC news, 22 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for acting up
Verb
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But if O’Brien does decide to walk away after this year, acting out his demise with his mentor, Downey, seems like an apt way to go out.—
Tom Smyth,
Vulture,
16 Mar. 2026
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Furthermore, writing and acting out plays about their experiences with type 1 diabetes also eases children’s anxieties around their condition.—
Elizabeth McClure,
The Orlando Sentinel,
12 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Meanwhile, as all of this is happening, Meredith is cutting up with the other ladies at the spa, without a care in the world.—
Tom Smyth,
Vulture,
31 Dec. 2025
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Ford is planning on cutting up to 1,000 roles in electric-vehicle production in Germany.—
Hugh Cameron,
MSNBC Newsweek,
16 Sep. 2025
Verb
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For now, retailers who sell kratom products are simply carrying on until they’re investigated by county health inspectors.—
Karen Garcia,
Los Angeles Times,
4 Mar. 2026
-
The remainder of the trailer flicks at these while carrying on with her suggestion that Erika is up to no good.—
Kevin Dolak,
HollywoodReporter,
25 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Bevel was horsing around with the Reverend James Orange and Andy Young in the courtyard under King's balcony, according to Orange.—
Gail Sheehy,
Vanity Fair,
20 Feb. 2026
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In April 2020, Iglesias shared a video of him horsing around with Lucy and Nicholas as the pair attempted to climb on his back for a ride.—
Andrea Wurzburger,
PEOPLE,
19 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Michael Schade, who works in the department’s traffic division, said most e-bike accidents were caused by riders disobeying basic traffic rules, like running red lights and not stopping at stop signs.—
Alissa Gary,
Sun Sentinel,
12 Mar. 2026
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Michael Schade, who works in the department’s traffic division, said most e-bike accidents were caused by riders disobeying basic traffic rules, like running red lights and not stopping at stop signs.—
Alissa Gary,
Miami Herald,
11 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
In the years since Boogie Nights, Leo has made an unlikely hit out of The Man in the Iron Mask, then took the role of Patrick Bateman in American Psycho, showing off his range and turning that surreal and often horrifying movie into another $100 million feather in his cap.—
Joe Reid,
Vulture,
13 Mar. 2026
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This Friday the 13th, showing off your tats can get you some free lunch.—
Marley Malenfant,
Austin American Statesman,
13 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Zeus did not approve of his daughter fooling around with this mortal roughneck hunter and put out a hit on Orion.—
Mike Lynch,
Twin Cities,
8 Mar. 2026
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The transition was rough for Ansari, who wasn’t fluent in English and often got in trouble for fooling around in school.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
7 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Acting up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/acting%20up. Accessed 20 Mar. 2026.
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