as in performing
to act out a past event; to enact again
The group reenacted a famous American Civil War battle.
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Recent Examples of reenacting
Every year on the 10th of Muharram, the first month of the Islamic calendar and the same day as the Battle of Karbala, Shiite Muslims inside and outside of Iran observe Ashura and commemorate the slaying of Hussain by reenacting his death and performing self-flagellation, among other rituals.
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Eric Lob, The Conversation, 2 Mar. 2026
Metcalf and Pullman are both wonderful in their shuffling ordinariness, reenacting long-obsolete parental dynamics with a kind of rueful, hopeful denial.
—Guy Lodge, Variety, 13 Feb. 2026
This year’s ceremony, by contrast, opened with a pair of dancers in angel wings reenacting the neoclassical sculpture Psyche Revived by Cupid’s Kiss, which was created about 100 years before the invention of the lightbulb.
—Ellen Cushing, The Atlantic, 7 Feb. 2026
One component of the agreement barred the federal government, for at least eight years, from reenacting immigration policies that systematically separate children and parents.
—Alex Riggins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Feb. 2026
What kind of faith is kept alive by reenacting a civil war?
—Ahmed Naji, The Dial, 18 Nov. 2025
TikTok users are sharing their childhood and teenage memories on the platform with #early2000snostalgia — from skits reenacting their high school experiences to throwback videos on popular Y2K items.
—Lucy Maguire, Vogue, 23 Oct. 2025
Each of its first two seasons opens with multiple—some might say too many—episodes reenacting the central crimes with a level of self-aware salaciousness that makes the typical TV-MA docudrama look like children’s programming.
—Judy Berman, Time, 6 Oct. 2025
The post began with a video of the former costars reenacting a famous scene from the hit series.
—Charna Flam, PEOPLE, 4 Oct. 2025
Eric Lob, The Conversation, 2 Mar. 2026
Metcalf and Pullman are both wonderful in their shuffling ordinariness, reenacting long-obsolete parental dynamics with a kind of rueful, hopeful denial.
—Guy Lodge, Variety, 13 Feb. 2026
This year’s ceremony, by contrast, opened with a pair of dancers in angel wings reenacting the neoclassical sculpture Psyche Revived by Cupid’s Kiss, which was created about 100 years before the invention of the lightbulb.
—Ellen Cushing, The Atlantic, 7 Feb. 2026
One component of the agreement barred the federal government, for at least eight years, from reenacting immigration policies that systematically separate children and parents.
—Alex Riggins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Feb. 2026
What kind of faith is kept alive by reenacting a civil war?
—Ahmed Naji, The Dial, 18 Nov. 2025
TikTok users are sharing their childhood and teenage memories on the platform with #early2000snostalgia — from skits reenacting their high school experiences to throwback videos on popular Y2K items.
—Lucy Maguire, Vogue, 23 Oct. 2025
Each of its first two seasons opens with multiple—some might say too many—episodes reenacting the central crimes with a level of self-aware salaciousness that makes the typical TV-MA docudrama look like children’s programming.
—Judy Berman, Time, 6 Oct. 2025
The post began with a video of the former costars reenacting a famous scene from the hit series.
—Charna Flam, PEOPLE, 4 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for reenacting
Verb
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The season is long enough with the first events taking place in early fall, and many choose to begin their offseason early after the stress of performing at the Winter Games.—
Mercury News staff,
Mercury News,
7 Mar. 2026
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Following layoffs of 4,000 in September and 10,000 in February, Salesforce co-founder and CEO Marc Benioff asserted that AI is already performing 50% of all the work at the top CRM platform.—
Shawn Tully,
Fortune,
7 Mar. 2026
Verb
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While some agencies dominate headlines with splashy launches, JAXA often works with a quiet precision that suddenly produces something extraordinary — a spacecraft touching down on an asteroid, a lunar lander executing a daring maneuver, or a new instrument revealing the universe in sharper detail.—
Kenna Hughes-Castleberry,
Space.com,
3 Mar. 2026
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And imagine nations commanding drone swarms and robot dog packs capable of making decisions and executing missions without human intervention.—
Eric Schmidt,
Time,
3 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The Sacramento County District Attorney’s Office will be prosecuting the case.—
Rosalio Ahumada,
Sacbee.com,
10 Mar. 2026
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The State Department revoked visas in July for members of Brazil's Supreme Federal Court, as well as their family members, who were involved in prosecuting former President Jair Bolsonaro and briefly banning Elon Musk's X in 2024.—
Shannon Bond,
NPR,
9 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Texas built its double-digit lead despite committing six turnovers and getting just four points from all-conference honorees Madison Booker and Rori Harmon.—
Danny Davis,
Austin American Statesman,
7 Mar. 2026
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Still, abandoning my life in New York City and committing to the incalculable unknowns of being the resident baker at the South Pole was immoderate, even for me.—
Cree LeFavour,
New Yorker,
7 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The companies could also sell excess power generation to utilities for public consumption, in addition to negotiating separate rate structures with public utilities and states, ensuring expenses are not passed on to consumers.—
Josh Boak,
Fortune,
6 Mar. 2026
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And, creditors and debt collectors are often open to negotiating a settlement even after a lawsuit has been filed.—
Angelica Leicht,
CBS News,
6 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Advertisement Vehicles move along a highway past a war memorial statue and a billboard depicting Iran's late supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei who was killed in an air strike on February 28, with plumes of black smoke billowing, in Tehran on March 8, 2026.—
Rebecca Schneid,
Time,
8 Mar. 2026
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Tim Robinson’s The Chair Company is likewise uncomfortably adept at depicting how navigating our immensely complicated, interconnected society can feel.—
Jake Pitre,
The Atlantic,
7 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The routines gaining traction right now aren’t choreographed for TikTok — but fans are recreating them on the app anyway.—
Hanna Wickes,
Charlotte Observer,
9 Mar. 2026
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How to Make Crab Rangoon Garlic Bread The dish itself is actually pretty simple to make and saves you a lot of labor when compared to recreating a traditional crab rangoon at home.—
Joseph Erbentraut,
Better Homes & Gardens,
7 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Reenacting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/reenacting. Accessed 11 Mar. 2026.
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