acting 1 of 3

Definition of actingnext
as in interim
serving in a position for the time being will serve as acting president of the university until a permanent replacement can be found

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

acting

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noun

acting

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verb

present participle of act
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as in serving
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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as in mocking
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

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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 acting
Adjective
Johnson pushed back against Pulte's critics -- arguing that the president has the prerogative to choose his Cabinet while stressing that the president told reporters that Pulte would serve on an acting basis -- up to 210 days without Senate confirmation. ABC News, 8 June 2026 His final acting role was on a 1996 episode of Caroline in the City. Angela Andaloro, PEOPLE, 8 June 2026
Noun
Those wins include multiple acting wins, best writing for a drama series (Miller), and best drama series. Joe Otterson, Variety, 26 June 2026 Jennifer Holland is the proud pet parent to a super canine acting sensation. Kelli Bender, PEOPLE, 26 June 2026
Verb
Pamela Sutton-Wallace, president of Yale New Haven Health, has been appointed acting CEO, effective immediately, according to the statement. Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 29 June 2026 Sonderling was elevated to the role in an acting capacity after Secretary of Labor Lori Chavez-DeRemer left the position in April. Caitlin Yilek, CBS News, 29 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for acting
Recent Examples of Synonyms for acting
Adjective
  • In June 2024, the UFC matched Makhachev against former interim UFC lightweight titleholder Dustin Poirier.
    Trent Reinsmith, Forbes.com, 4 July 2026
  • The disaster is becoming the defining challenge of Rodríguez’s interim presidency.
    Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 3 July 2026
Noun
  • New York Police shut down the immediate vicinity of Madison Square Garden and closed part of 7th Avenue bottlenecking traffic near the iconic sports and entertainment arena.
    Bryan West, USA Today, 4 July 2026
  • Get your daily dose of entertainment news, celebrity updates, and what to watch with our EW Dispatch newsletter.
    Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 4 July 2026
Verb
  • Win prizes playing interactive games, network with artists and entrepreneurs and enjoy signature drinks and bar snacks available for purchase.
    Lesly Gregory, AJC.com, 1 July 2026
  • Men leaders can pay attention to and be mindful of who in the workplace may be playing more of an emotional support role that falls outside their job description.
    Holly Corbett, Forbes.com, 1 July 2026
Verb
  • The government is also working with private developers, banks and the real estate sector to accelerate temporary and permanent housing solutions.
    Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 3 July 2026
  • In soccer, the line between a yellow and a red card can be subjective, depending on the referee working the game that day and his or her interpretation of the play.
    Ashley Mowreader, NBC news, 3 July 2026
Verb
  • Yet these easy luxuries have simultaneously raised the entitlement of citizens and their expectations of largesse from their underfunded, over-bureaucratized, overpromising governments, which are left seeming slow and inept.
    Simon Sebag Montefiore, The Atlantic, 28 June 2026
  • Some artists have eras, experimental phases, detours, creative dalliances; Arthur Russell’s career, for all its seeming contradictions—classical minimalism and lascivious disco, Zen Buddhist mantras and winsome country pop—was a continuum.
    Philip Sherburne, Pitchfork, 27 June 2026
Verb
  • Two Latinos are running in this year’s election to replace Councilmember Curren Price, who is Black and retiring after serving the maximum three terms.
    Melissa Gomez, Los Angeles Times, 4 July 2026
  • That collection includes serving trays, platters, linens, vases, and wine goblets with pops of blues and yellows for a coastal vibe.
    Alison Fox, Travel + Leisure, 3 July 2026
Verb
  • The scammer then calls, pretending to be in a crisis and in need of immediate financial assistance.
    Ella Moore July 2, Miami Herald, 2 July 2026
  • For example, a group of minions might be pretending to fight a group of Vikings on a movie set, or enough alien spaceships to fill the entire screen appear and shoot their lasers at once.
    Parents, Parents, 1 July 2026
Verb
  • Second lady Usha Vance mocking The New York Times for reading political significance into her Old Navy maternity dress and the New York Knicks celebrating their NBA title were featured in last week's News Quiz.
    Staff, FOXNews.com, 3 July 2026
  • This patriotic anthem of the American Revolution originated as a favorite tune of British soldiers, who enjoyed its lyrics mocking American colonists.
    René Ostberg, Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 July 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Acting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/acting. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.

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