1
as in thing
something done by someone
judge people by their actions, not by their words
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
3
as in lawsuit
a court case for enforcing a right or claim
filed an action in county court to recover his lawn mower from his neighbor, who claims he "gave" it to her
Synonyms & Similar Words
4
as in field
active fighting during the course of a war
the battalion saw action soon after it arrived in France
Synonyms & Similar Words
5
as in behavior
actions plural
the way or manner in which one conducts oneself
observing the actions of mice in various controlled settings helps scientists understand the effects of certain drugs
Synonyms & Similar Words
6
as in ambition
readiness to engage in daring or difficult activity
the wilderness was tamed by men and women of action
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 action
The thrills and chills of nonstop action belie the profound questions on capitalism, colonialism, caste, family loyalty, and identity formation upon which the wildly inventive, cinematic plot is built.
—
Gabrielle Bellot, Literary Hub, 5 Aug. 2025
Trump has said several times in recent months that there could be trade actions for the pharmaceutical industry, which has globalized since the 1990s with a drug supply chain that stretches from Europe to China and India.
—Ken Alltucker, USA Today, 5 Aug. 2025
Born out of sustained resistance to the criminalization and execution of Black radical thought, Black August is a time for deliberate reflection and a call to action.
—Essence, 5 Aug. 2025
Hot on the heels of a major ransomware group being taken down through an international law enforcement operation comes a new development that highlights the whack-a-mole nature of such actions: A new group, likely comprised of some of the same members, has already taken its place.
—Dan Goodin, ArsTechnica, 26 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for action
Gabrielle Bellot, Literary Hub, 5 Aug. 2025
Trump has said several times in recent months that there could be trade actions for the pharmaceutical industry, which has globalized since the 1990s with a drug supply chain that stretches from Europe to China and India.
—Ken Alltucker, USA Today, 5 Aug. 2025
Born out of sustained resistance to the criminalization and execution of Black radical thought, Black August is a time for deliberate reflection and a call to action.
—Essence, 5 Aug. 2025
Hot on the heels of a major ransomware group being taken down through an international law enforcement operation comes a new development that highlights the whack-a-mole nature of such actions: A new group, likely comprised of some of the same members, has already taken its place.
—Dan Goodin, ArsTechnica, 26 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for action
Recent Examples of Synonyms for action
Noun
-
Finding your community via identity is one thing, but some clubs go even more niche and have combined two different cultures—the Jewish one and the culture of cannabis.—
Sophie Liza Cannon,
Forbes.com,
8 Aug. 2025
-
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in an interview with Fox Business that the White House now knows concrete examples of things that Russia would ask for to end the war.—
Brittney Melton,
NPR,
7 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
Past that, the entire thing seems to be an Amazon infomercial with the company directly integrated into the plot in a way that involves delivery drivers, Amazon drones and gift cards as key aspects to solving the alien invasion.—
Paul Tassi,
Forbes.com,
6 Aug. 2025
-
Wolfhard is the only person who has correctly guessed the plot, and in a recent conversation with Variety, spilled details on the prediction and compared the new series to David Lynch's Twin Peaks.—
EW.com,
EW.com,
5 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
Earlier this week, Drake’s legal team made moves to find more ammunition in his defamation lawsuit against UMG.—
Abid Rahman,
HollywoodReporter,
15 Aug. 2025
-
In response to Bates’ lawsuit, the governor’s counsel used Windom’s death warrant to defend his non-discrimination argument.—
Don Siegelman,
The Orlando Sentinel,
15 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
Sanders returned to the field at the start of the second quarter and delivered a huge touchdown pass to Kaden Davis.—
James Brizuela,
MSNBC Newsweek,
9 Aug. 2025
-
Also worth reading 🏈 Sports: The Lions-Falcons preseason game was suspended in the fourth quarter after Lions defensive back Morice Norris was taken off the field in an ambulance following what appeared to be a neck injury.—
Leah Olajide,
Freep.com,
9 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
Earlier this week, the WNBA said any fan caught engaging in such behavior will face prosecution as well as a ban from the league.—
Ben Church,
CNN Money,
6 Aug. 2025
-
The home’s unconventional shape is based on the figure eight, with the plans influenced by solar paths and climatic behavior.—
Tori Latham,
Robb Report,
6 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
But don’t underestimate how much industrial power and political ambitions can undercut progress.—
Ken Silverstein,
Forbes.com,
7 Aug. 2025
-
Alex Beutel, safety research lead, gave the example of a query about the burning temperature of a certain material, saying that such an interest could stem from terrorist ambitions or homework.—
Eliza Strickland,
IEEE Spectrum,
7 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
Trump cannot federalize the city’s government without an act of Congress, an amendment to the Home Rule Act.—
Ross O'Keefe,
The Washington Examiner,
14 Aug. 2025
-
The nostalgia has hit music as well, where TRL-era acts like Backstreet Boys, Nelly, the Goo Goo Dolls and Oasis are all enjoying successful residencies and summer tours.—
Ralphie Aversa,
USA Today,
14 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
Share stories of lateral moves in company updates—not as policy footnotes but as real growth journeys.—
Vibhas Ratanjee,
Forbes.com,
8 Aug. 2025
-
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.—
Madison E. Goldberg,
People.com,
8 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Action.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/action. Accessed 19 Aug. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share