as in ran riot
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 acted out
Eventually, the rewrite and actors workshop rehearsal combined — a two-week period in which Jones, McCormick, Wilde, Rogen, Cruz, and Norton acted out, improvised scenes, and, most importantly, talked about characters.
—
Chris O'Falt,
IndieWire,
24 June 2026
In the video, Allie dramatically acted out both sides of the conversation, capturing the feeling of trying to extract a straightforward answer from her mom.
—
Ashley Vega,
PEOPLE,
3 June 2026
Prosecutors alleged that Chow acted out of a false belief that Carmack-Belton had shoplifted four bottles of water from his store.
—
Jeana Fermi,
ABC News,
2 June 2026
This is one of the earliest indicators of emotional intelligence because feelings with names become feelings that can be processed instead of acted out.
—
Reem Raouda,
CNBC,
31 May 2026
Our workshop acted out parts of Shange’s text on the first day of a spring semester class in 2010.
—
Literary Hub,
29 May 2026
Friends and family say Wright acted out throughout the trial, including missing previous court dates and removing himself from the stand.
—
Wcco Staff,
CBS News,
20 Apr. 2026
Like other states around the country, Tennessee was closing its public psychiatric hospitals, and mentally ill people who acted out were simply being jailed.
—
James Verini,
New Yorker,
2 Mar. 2026
Administration officials have argued Ross acted out of self-defense, alleging Good was impeding federal law enforcement.
—
Amie Parnes,
The Hill,
18 Jan. 2026
Chris O'Falt,
IndieWire,
24 June 2026
In the video, Allie dramatically acted out both sides of the conversation, capturing the feeling of trying to extract a straightforward answer from her mom.
—
Ashley Vega,
PEOPLE,
3 June 2026
Prosecutors alleged that Chow acted out of a false belief that Carmack-Belton had shoplifted four bottles of water from his store.
—
Jeana Fermi,
ABC News,
2 June 2026
This is one of the earliest indicators of emotional intelligence because feelings with names become feelings that can be processed instead of acted out.
—
Reem Raouda,
CNBC,
31 May 2026
Our workshop acted out parts of Shange’s text on the first day of a spring semester class in 2010.
—
Literary Hub,
29 May 2026
Friends and family say Wright acted out throughout the trial, including missing previous court dates and removing himself from the stand.
—
Wcco Staff,
CBS News,
20 Apr. 2026
Like other states around the country, Tennessee was closing its public psychiatric hospitals, and mentally ill people who acted out were simply being jailed.
—
James Verini,
New Yorker,
2 Mar. 2026
Administration officials have argued Ross acted out of self-defense, alleging Good was impeding federal law enforcement.
—
Amie Parnes,
The Hill,
18 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for acted out
Verb
-
However, all of the city’s fire stations seemingly disobeyed the mayor by lowering their flags.
-
The group says Ensign misled courts, disobeyed court orders and failed to intervene when lawyers under his supervision engaged in misconduct.
Verb
-
And of course, Peterson not playing would have made some wonder if the McDonald’s All-American’s hamstring had acted up again.
Verb
-
New York, however, is nothing if not resilient, and as disruptive as Swift and Kelce’s wedding could have been, in reality the neighborhood carried on with modest enthusiasm tempered with indifference.
-
Do not use to cover a ceiling Do not carry the flag flat — and things should not be carried on it.
Verb
-
Not be outdone, a couple of New Jersey towns even 'rebelled' against data centers despite there being no plan to actually build them!
-
Ever since the Haitian revolutionaries first rebelled against the French in 1791, the proslavery and imperialist powers of Europe and the Americas had a special interest in ensuring that Haiti failed.
Cite this Entry
“Acted out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/acted%20out. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
