act out
verb
acted out; acting out; acts out
1
a
: to represent in action
children act out what they read
b
: to translate into action
unwilling to act out their beliefs
2
: to express (something, such as an impulse or a fantasy) directly in overt behavior without modification to comply with social norms
: to behave badly or in a socially unacceptable often self-defeating manner especially as a means of venting painful emotions (such as fear or frustration)
Examples of act out in a Sentence
because his parents spent so much time with his chronically ill sister, the boy resorted to acting out in order to get attention
Recent Examples on the Web
Restless legs syndrome, a condition characterized by an urge to move the legs, is common in Parkinson's disease, as is REM sleep disorder, a condition in which people act out their dreams while sleeping.
—
Heidi Moawad, Verywell Health, 28 July 2025
Emerging research suggests that acting out dreams might also predict Parkinson’s disease.
—Lauren J. Young, Scientific American, 22 July 2025
The negative emotionality is over a long period of time to get them to a breaking point to act out.
—Amanda Lee Myers, USA Today, 20 July 2025
The first game was charades, where the audience had to act out the word for Jin to guess.
—Laura Sirikul, Forbes.com, 19 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for act out
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Heidi Moawad, Verywell Health, 28 July 2025
Emerging research suggests that acting out dreams might also predict Parkinson’s disease.
—Lauren J. Young, Scientific American, 22 July 2025
The negative emotionality is over a long period of time to get them to a breaking point to act out.
—Amanda Lee Myers, USA Today, 20 July 2025
The first game was charades, where the audience had to act out the word for Jin to guess.
—Laura Sirikul, Forbes.com, 19 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for act out
Cite this Entry
“Act out.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/act%20out. Accessed 2 Aug. 2025.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
act out
transitive verb
: to express (as an impulse or a fantasy) directly in overt behavior without modification to comply with social norms
act out an adolescent fantasy
: to behave badly or in a socially unacceptable often self-defeating manner especially as a means of venting painful emotions (as fear or frustration)
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