1
as in to act out
to behave badly
the two-year-old was acting up in church so much that her dad had to take her outside
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to cut up
to engage in attention-getting playful or boisterous behavior
you should have seen the boys acting up when they put on their aprons
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of act up
The elbows acted up again this past offseason, forcing Stanton to stop swinging a few weeks before reporting to spring training.
—
Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 14 Mar. 2025
The sisters may have spent weeks teasing the first single off their new album through several funny little videos and familiar-looking album art, but the tell-tale sign of new Haim music is when the weather gets good and people feel like acting up.
—Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 12 Mar. 2025
In recent weeks, we are told that Phillips has at points been acting up for Moore after Moore broke her ankle while skiing, and she is understood to have been dipping her toe into drama.
—Max Goldbart, Deadline, 28 Feb. 2025
This includes Isla having to do damage control when the team’s star acts up off the court, and dealing with an overbearing parent of a player.
—Greg Rosenstein, NBC News, 27 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for act up
Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 14 Mar. 2025
The sisters may have spent weeks teasing the first single off their new album through several funny little videos and familiar-looking album art, but the tell-tale sign of new Haim music is when the weather gets good and people feel like acting up.
—Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 12 Mar. 2025
In recent weeks, we are told that Phillips has at points been acting up for Moore after Moore broke her ankle while skiing, and she is understood to have been dipping her toe into drama.
—Max Goldbart, Deadline, 28 Feb. 2025
This includes Isla having to do damage control when the team’s star acts up off the court, and dealing with an overbearing parent of a player.
—Greg Rosenstein, NBC News, 27 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for act up
Recent Examples of Synonyms for act up
Verb
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While in shelters, some animals may act out due to the overwhelming stress of their environment.—
Ross Rosenfeld,
MSNBC Newsweek,
23 Apr. 2025
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Two months later, Becca was the target of online gossip and started acting out and drinking as a way to cope.—
Deb Schmill,
People.com,
22 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Consider cutting up their food or serving easy-to-eat foods like smoothies.—
Smita Patel,
Verywell Health,
15 Apr. 2025
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Skrillex has never restricted his distension of sonic materials to merely supersizing his bass lines, and among other things, the voices on this album are routinely phased and retuned and cut up.—
Michaelangelo Matos,
Rolling Stone,
1 Apr. 2025
Verb
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The country star turned heads in a strapless black gown with a keyhole cutout on her chest and torso, which showed off her toned abs.—
Lori A Bashian Fox News,
FOXNews.com,
19 Apr. 2025
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The two greet each other with a hug, showing off the series’ cutting-edge duplicative Josh special effects.—
Rebecca Alter,
Vulture,
18 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Quit horsing around — the Clydesdales are back!—
Breanne L. Heldman,
People.com,
10 Feb. 2025
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In the video, Payne is shown horsing around with a large outdoor crowd and his bandmates, encouraging the fans to quiet their screaming and then raise the volume all the way back up.—
Clare Mulroy,
USA TODAY,
3 Feb. 2025
Verb
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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
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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
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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
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Now, Solis carries on this tradition with her own child.—
Patrick Davis,
NPR,
20 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Tsuyoshi had rebelled against the boss of the entertainment business and left the company not on good terms.—
Sara Merican,
Deadline,
22 Apr. 2025
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When getting around is arduous and unsafe, workers rebel against their commutes, depressing the value of commercial buildings.—
Justin Davidson,
Curbed,
18 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Act up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/act%20up. Accessed 1 May. 2025.
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