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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The new study explores an entirely different hypothesis: Maybe some bosses act out on purpose.—
Daniel de Visé,
USA Today,
6 June 2025
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However, the dog might also be acting out of boredom, using destructive behavior as a coping mechanism.—
Maria Azzurra Volpe,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 June 2025
Verb
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The mower can cut up to a full acre on a single charge.—
Christopher Murray
may earn a commission if you buy through our referral links. This content was created by a team that works independently from the Fox newsroom.,
FOXNews.com,
2 June 2025
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Old towels cut up into rags do a great job of removing this soft flux once the copper pipe is cool enough to touch.—
Tim Carter,
Hartford Courant,
31 May 2025
Verb
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Kim Kardashian's oldest daughter North West has a new look The 11-year-old showed off her vibrant blue hair on her mom's Instagram account Kardashian shares her four kids with ex-husband, Kanye West Kim Kardashian's oldest daughter has a brand new look.—
Hannah Sacks,
People.com,
6 June 2025
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Make a Statement with Lighting With its midcentury table, Lucite chairs, and bare white walls, the Kells' dining room is quite spare and restrained—all the better to show off a chandelier with a rainbow of glass teardrops.—
Amy Panos,
Better Homes & Gardens,
5 June 2025
Verb
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Fayetteville Sad Palomino’s Will King releases a collection of home recordings In between horsing around with his longtime band Sad Palomino, Will King has been recording and trying to decide the best way to share songs, mostly written during winters from 2020 to 2025.—
Monica Hooper,
Arkansas Online,
25 May 2025
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The sport requires a combination of elegance and toughness as a team of eight girls wear long gowns, perfectly matching accessories and impeccable makeup while riding horses around an arena.—
Daniel Eduardo Hernandez,
Los Angeles Times,
17 Apr. 2025
Verb
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He's been charged with reckless driving, disobeying the signal of an officer, failure to maintain lane, passing on the right, improper turn, passing at an unsafe distance, engaging police in a pursuit, interfering with an officer and reckless endangerment in the first degree.—
Michael Nied,
People.com,
6 June 2025
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He was arrested on multiple charges, including reckless driving and disobeying an officer.—
Rick Sobey,
Boston Herald,
28 May 2025
Verb
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And a few miles to the south, Debnam is carrying on the Thomas tradition.—
Jonathan M. Pitts,
Baltimore Sun,
6 June 2025
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The two carry on, eventually falling into a water fountain with only the pink Ranger emerging — revealing that their baby was a girl.—
Alexandra Schonfeld,
People.com,
5 June 2025
Verb
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Mavericks fans rebelled after Luka Dončić was traded.—
Ben Church,
CNN Money,
9 June 2025
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But Colin refuses to back down, rebelling with a defiant act that breaks all their rules.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
18 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Act up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/act%20up. Accessed 18 Jun. 2025.
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