1
as in acts out
to behave badly
the two-year-old was acting up in church so much that her dad had to take her outside
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in cuts up
to engage in attention-getting playful or boisterous behavior
you should have seen the boys acting up when they put on their aprons
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Recent Examples of acts up
Koutouvides transitioned to life after football, found success in real estate development throughout Connecticut, but the pain of losing the Super Bowl twinges and acts up like an old joint injury.
—
Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 8 Feb. 2026
But if your transmission acts up or your steering system goes haywire, car insurance won't help you.
—Alora Bopray, USA Today, 5 Dec. 2025
In the cold and austere German winter (a far cry from Dakar’s physical and cultural warmth), an anxious Nourou acts up outside a hotel and is accosted by a Polish security guard, setting off a minor chain reaction in which Maja intervenes on his behalf, much to his chagrin.
—Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 28 Sep. 2025
The kid acts up, the dad disciplines him and mom just sends a sorry text.
—Hannah Sacks, PEOPLE, 22 Sep. 2025
Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 8 Feb. 2026
But if your transmission acts up or your steering system goes haywire, car insurance won't help you.
—Alora Bopray, USA Today, 5 Dec. 2025
In the cold and austere German winter (a far cry from Dakar’s physical and cultural warmth), an anxious Nourou acts up outside a hotel and is accosted by a Polish security guard, setting off a minor chain reaction in which Maja intervenes on his behalf, much to his chagrin.
—Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 28 Sep. 2025
The kid acts up, the dad disciplines him and mom just sends a sorry text.
—Hannah Sacks, PEOPLE, 22 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for acts up
Verb
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Fleming acts out each detail with gusto, and this full sensory barrage earns him his loudest round of applause yet.—
John Roy,
Vulture,
19 Feb. 2026
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Roper acts out this realization about [Teddy’s allegiance].—
Hunter Ingram,
Variety,
1 Feb. 2026
Verb
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How to Prune Viburnum Use sharp hand pruners for smaller cuts up to the diameter of a pencil, and loppers or a pruning saw for larger cuts.—
Luke Miller,
Better Homes & Gardens,
7 Feb. 2026
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Options laid out in an Interior Department study of new operating rules absent a seven-state solution envision Lower Basin cuts up to twice what the Southwestern states have suggested.—
Brandon Loomis,
AZCentral.com,
31 Jan. 2026
Verb
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This photo shows off the staggering scale of SLS, the VAB, and the crawler-transporter vehicle that hauls the rocket to and from the launch pad.—
Brett Tingley,
Space.com,
27 Feb. 2026
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Nine graduate students in the art school have moved their thesis shows off-campus to express solidarity with Quiñonez.—
Uwa Ede-Osifo,
Dallas Morning News,
27 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Still, a young kid is a young kid no matter the era, and to fulfill his wish of seeing real dinosaurs, Arco disobeys his parents.—
Carlos Aguilar,
Variety,
6 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Set against the backdrop of the 1998 São Paulo World Cup between Brazil and France, Amarela follows 14-year-old Erika Oguihara (Melissa Uehara), a Japanese Brazilian sports fanatic who rebels against her family’s more Japanese cultural traditions.—
Destiny Jackson,
Deadline,
10 Jan. 2026
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As the professor navigates retirement, the baby grows into a rambunctious child who rebels against the traditions of her fishing community.—
The New Yorker,
New Yorker,
6 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Acts up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/acts%20up. Accessed 1 Mar. 2026.
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