acted

Definition of actednext
past tense of act
1
2
as in worked
to produce a desired effect the painkiller acted surprisingly quickly

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

3
4
as in served
to have a certain purpose the tail feathers of woodpeckers act as props while the birds excavate tree trunks for insects

Synonyms & Similar Words

5
6
as in mocked
to pretend to be (what one is not) in appearance or behavior someone who is willing to act the helpless little thing when she wants attention

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 acted Dallas acted quickly on that front, parting ways with defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus and hiring Christian Parker to replace him. Sportsday Staff, Dallas Morning News, 10 Feb. 2026 Police said officers were met with violence and acted to maintain order, while protesters and some politicians accused authorities of excessive force. Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 10 Feb. 2026 Belarus has acted as a staging ground for the invasion of Ukraine. Yuliya Talmazan, NBC news, 10 Feb. 2026 Pizzi went on to say Pembroke Park Town Manager David Lynch acted inappropriately to get a second opinion from a lawyer besides the city attorney on removing Jacobs’ from office. Amanda Rosa, Miami Herald, 10 Feb. 2026 Hosted by Turning Point USA, Kid Rock, Brantley Gilbert, Lee Brice and Gabby Barrett acted as counter-programming to Bad Bunny. Kimi Robinson, USA Today, 9 Feb. 2026 Menin has thrown her support behind the framework legislation introduced by Brooklyn Councilman Lincoln Restler, which would make the outdoor dining program year-round and bring down some of the costs and bureaucratic requirements that have acted as hurdles for business owners to participate. New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 8 Feb. 2026 The fire made short work of these too, once the flames hit the elevator shafts that acted like chimneys. Jacques Kelly, Baltimore Sun, 7 Feb. 2026 Also in Paris at the time was Fuller, who had acted in Godard’s Pierrot le Fou (1965), a precursor to he and Lang having their first date the following year in Montmartre. Mike Barnes, HollywoodReporter, 3 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for acted
Verb
  • Every one of the NFL’s 32 teams has played a regular-season game outside the United States and is signed up to the league’s Global Markets Program.
    Tom Chitty, CNBC, 15 Feb. 2026
  • Savolainen played a huge role in Finland’s historic run in the 2019 hockey women’s world championship, in which the country made it to the final against the United States who, along with Canada, had previously dominated the competition and its gold medal matches.
    Hannah Ryan, CNN Money, 14 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • More famously, Sven Marquardt, worked as a selector for Berghain for almost two decades.
    Jessica Chapel, Condé Nast Traveler, 15 Feb. 2026
  • The move to Connecticut came later, and Bessette also worked throughout her teen-age years.
    Doreen St. Félix, New Yorker, 14 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • Even the winter sun seemed to recognize the gravity of the moment, breaking through the clouds to illuminate the private dining room for the entirety of that historic afternoon.
    Pin Yen Tan 9 min ago, CNN Money, 6 Feb. 2026
  • Jackson seemed to be referring to Alex Pretti and Renee Good, two protesters who were killed under questionable circumstances by immigration agents last month.
    Dave Goldiner, New York Daily News, 5 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • After earning his bachelor’s, master’s and doctorate degrees, Geeslin served as superintendent there until retiring in 2025.
    Claire Rafford, IndyStar, 9 Feb. 2026
  • His father, Gary Kubiak, served as head coach for the Houston Texans from 2006 to 2013 and the Denver Broncos from 2015 to 2016, while his younger brother, Klay, is the offensive coordinator for the San Francisco 49ers.
    Matt Moret, New York Times, 9 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • Then, an experimenter presented the bonobo with two empty, transparent cups and pretended to pour juice from an empty pitcher into each cup.
    Amarachi Orie, CNN Money, 9 Feb. 2026
  • Korea’s Kim Seon-yeong and Sweden’s Isabella Wranå pretended their brooms were air guitars.
    Zack Pierce, New York Times, 4 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • How about the woman, believed to be a Chicago Public Schools teacher, who mocked Charlie Kirk’s assassination by using her hand like a gun and putting it to her neck?
    Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 13 Feb. 2026
  • Some also mocked the add-on fees, including higher charges for larger items.
    Stephanie Giang-Paunon, FOXNews.com, 12 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • These participants also performed better on tests of overall cognitive function, the report noted.
    Khloe Quill, FOXNews.com, 10 Feb. 2026
  • The entire hardware assembly was completed during the day, with AI training performed overnight.
    Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 10 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • These aircraft are operated by the United States in Japan, the US Navy carrier groups, and the Japanese Air Self-Defense Force.
    Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 14 Feb. 2026
  • The 65,000-square-foot space will be operated by AEG Presents and is expected to open next year.
    Travis Webb, Austin American Statesman, 14 Feb. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Acted.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/acted. Accessed 16 Feb. 2026.

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