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

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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 The criminal trial comes months after a separate jury in a civil trial found that Parker acted with gross negligence in the shooting and awarded the injured teacher, Abby Zwerner, $10 million in damages. Meredith Deliso, ABC News, 19 May 2026 The defense attorney said Laird had acted suspiciously by deleting messages between him and Maya on multiple platforms. Alex Riggins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 May 2026 Analysts say the reason global markets were not immediately hit by the full impact of disruptions to Middle Eastern crude supplies is that commercial inventories, government strategic reserves, and tankers already at sea have acted as buffers. CNBC, 18 May 2026 Buckley acted as Marvel Comics’ publisher and then president of Marvel Entertainment before having the more recent title of head of Marvel comics and franchise. Borys Kit, HollywoodReporter, 18 May 2026 In the past, humanitarian programs operating in such areas have acted as informal disease surveillance networks. Pien Huang, NPR, 18 May 2026 Those barrels have acted as a shock absorber. Robert Rapier, Forbes.com, 18 May 2026 For his memorable impression, Ferrell often acted inebriated or over-the-top while performing and interrupting himself to tell random stories. Caroline Blair, PEOPLE, 17 May 2026 She had been told that Ted acted like a hero. Erin Moriarty, CBS News, 17 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for acted
Verb
  • Chris Sanon, the Orlando area’s leader in sacks a year ago, played well in his move to linebacker from edge rusher.
    Chris Hays, The Orlando Sentinel, 17 May 2026
  • He’s only played in four major championships in his career.
    Brendan Quinn, New York Times, 17 May 2026
Verb
  • The White Sox slugger worked a 1-1 count by taking a pair of pitches away.
    Andy Martinez, Chicago Tribune, 17 May 2026
  • Instead of being found by quick switches of play, Grimaldo and Frimpong would often become involved in moves higher up the pitch after the ball had worked its way through Alonso’s midfield box (consisting of the two deeper midfielders and two No 10s).
    Liam Twomey, New York Times, 17 May 2026
Verb
  • The candidates themselves seemed low-energy, even with their jabs — which were largely directed at Becerra, as Mark said.
    Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 15 May 2026
  • Other high-profile games at different stadiums seemed to have similar conditions, but matches with lower demand had wider availability, according to the New York Times story, cited by Bonta in Wednesday’s news release.
    Camila Pedrosa, Sacbee.com, 14 May 2026
Verb
  • One man’s modernity is, of course, another’s degradation, and, as dinner was served, the conversation turned to such recent innovations as ghost runners, pitch clocks, and robot umps, none of them to Murray’s liking.
    Ben McGrath, New Yorker, 18 May 2026
  • The evening menu includes a raw section of caviar, crabs, yellow tail, oysters, and of particular note are the juicy steaks served with the marrow.
    Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 18 May 2026
Verb
  • His wife fell to the floor and pretended to be dead, and Little was pronounced dead at a hospital.
    Katie Langford, Denver Post, 19 May 2026
  • Arlester Brown, a Black soldier who fought in a segregated army, crossed an ocean to depend on men of every background for his survival — and came home to an America that pretended that bond didn’t exist.
    Afdhel Aziz, Forbes.com, 18 May 2026
Verb
  • On a bench outside, as mums with their toddlers drink coffee, Trusty is talking about his start in a sport he was mocked for playing as a youngster.
    Greg O'Keeffe, New York Times, 16 May 2026
  • Jon Stewart also mocked the golden display.
    Tiago Ventura, Time, 15 May 2026
Verb
  • Marketing and implementation analyses were performed to determine whether a new name could realistically be adopted across healthcare systems, medical education, research institutions and public communication.
    Samantha Agate, Charlotte Observer, 19 May 2026
  • That remains up for debate, although the northern courses since the calendar move in 2019 — Bethpage Black and Oak Hill in New York and Aronimink — have performed well.
    ABC News, ABC News, 19 May 2026
Verb
  • In the rear of the cineplex structure— opened in 2000 and also operated under such brands as Crown and Bow Tie — space would be converted to self-storage.
    Kenneth R. Gosselin, Hartford Courant, 17 May 2026
  • The investigation, which is being done in the Southern District of Florida, has centered around the 1996 shootdown of planes that were operated by the humanitarian group, Brothers to the Rescue.
    Katherine Faulders, ABC News, 16 May 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Acted.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/acted. Accessed 21 May. 2026.

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