Synonyms of acts out

acts out

verb

present tense third-person singular of act out

as in raises hell

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

• raises hell
• acts up
• runs riot
• rebels
• disobeys
• misconducts
• raises Cain
• misbehaves
• carries on
• kids (around)
• cuts up
• horses around
• shows off
• clowns (around)
• fools around
• roughhouses

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• acts
• obeys
• conducts
• bears
• comports
• quits
• conforms
• contains
• moves
• controls
• complies
• handles
• checks
• inhibits
• acquits
• curbs
• collects
• demeans
• constrains
• deports
• composes
• restrains
• represses
• quiets

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of acts out

Traditional methods might overlook the quiet student who won’t ask for help or the struggling reader who acts out to hide their difficulty grasping the words. —Haozhen Yang, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2025

As an Argentinian prisoner with a high-wattage flare for storytelling, Tonatiuh acts out the life and work of his favorite silver screen diva La Luna (Jennifer Lopez) to bond with his radical cellmate (Diego Luna). —Matt Donnelly, Variety, 28 Aug. 2025