as in to raise 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
Relevance
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 act out
Nikki acts out part of A Midsummer Night’s Dream and then parts of Clueless and then draws Molly a bunch of vulvas in fancy hats.
—
Erin Qualey, Vulture, 7 Apr. 2025
His days are spent either sitting sadly on Iris’ bed with literal hangdog eyes or acting out and destroying things in her apartment.
—Lindsey Bahr, Twin Cities, 2 Apr. 2025
But most small children eventually outgrow the impulse to act out.
—Daniel D'addario, Variety, 27 Mar. 2025
Instead, Butler acted out with indifference toward the Heat season to the degree that he was suspended by the Heat three times without pay before being dealt to the Warriors at the Feb. 6 NBA trading deadline.
—Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 25 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for act out
Erin Qualey, Vulture, 7 Apr. 2025
His days are spent either sitting sadly on Iris’ bed with literal hangdog eyes or acting out and destroying things in her apartment.
—Lindsey Bahr, Twin Cities, 2 Apr. 2025
But most small children eventually outgrow the impulse to act out.
—Daniel D'addario, Variety, 27 Mar. 2025
Instead, Butler acted out with indifference toward the Heat season to the degree that he was suspended by the Heat three times without pay before being dealt to the Warriors at the Feb. 6 NBA trading deadline.
—Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 25 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for act out
Recent Examples of Synonyms for act out
Verb
-
Boasberg earlier this week found probable cause that the Trump administration committed criminal contempt by disobeying his ruling, only to see the Supreme Court rule that only judges where migrants are being held have jurisdiction to halt their removal.—
Jasmine Garsd,
NPR,
19 Apr. 2025
-
The timing of Lopez Gomez’s arrest, first reported by the Florida Phoenix, raises questions about whether the court order was disobeyed.—
Jay Weaver,
Miami Herald,
18 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
And, while Robert E. Lee might have declined to resort to guerrilla warfare, many of his lieutenants carried on a program of suppression by terror.—
Adam Gopnik,
New Yorker,
21 Apr. 2025
-
Eventually, as Buffalo grew, most moved to the outer suburbs or other neighborhoods, but their influence carried on.—
Michele Herrmann,
Forbes.com,
20 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
For the first time, Tindall had to act up without his partner over these past two weeks, with Graeme Jones, his fellow assistant, deputising alongside him.—
Chris Waugh,
New York Times,
25 Apr. 2025
-
Is his palm injury acting up again, or the pressure to join the elite company of Jack Nicklaus, who won 3 times at The PLAYERS Championship?—
Mark Davis,
Newsweek,
16 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
Democrats believe the rebelling conservatives will fold in the end.—
Jonathan Easley,
The Hill,
8 Apr. 2025
-
Broad stock indexes have now erased their post-electoral gains as investors rebel against the prospect of higher costs.—
Rob Wile,
NBC News,
12 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Act out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/act%20out. Accessed 29 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share