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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in entertainment
Related Words
1
as in playing
to present a portrayal or performance of
a local student acted the part of Tiny Tim in our theater company's production of A Christmas Carol
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in working
to produce a desired effect
the painkiller acted surprisingly quickly
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in seeming
to give the impression of being
always acting helpless, just to get attention
Synonyms & Similar Words
4
as in serving
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
as in pretending
to present a false appearance of
if you act confident long enough, you'll begin to actually feel it
Synonyms & Similar Words
6
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of acting
Charles Bethea, New Yorker, 5 Jan. 2026
The New York native's final acting role was as Aunt Bethany in National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation.
—Kate Hogan, PEOPLE, 26 Dec. 2025
Olivia Munson, USA Today, 5 Feb. 2026
Grit in a movie character depends on good acting.
—Peter Lucas, Boston Herald, 5 Feb. 2026
Dennis Romero, NBC news, 7 Feb. 2026
The Post’s chief financial officer, Jeff D’Onofrio, was named acting publisher and CEO.
—David Bauder, Chicago Tribune, 7 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for acting
Adjective
Delcy Rodríguez, Nicolás Maduro’s loyal deputy and the acting Vice-President at the time of his ouster, has stepped into the role of the country’s interim leader.
—Charles Bethea, New Yorker, 5 Jan. 2026
The New York native's final acting role was as Aunt Bethany in National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation.
—Kate Hogan, PEOPLE, 26 Dec. 2025
Noun
But another driving force behind Lee's acting is the ability to immerse and challenge himself.
—Olivia Munson, USA Today, 5 Feb. 2026
Grit in a movie character depends on good acting.
—Peter Lucas, Boston Herald, 5 Feb. 2026
Verb
Advertising executive Jeff D’Onofrio, formerly chief executive at art and fandom site Tumblr, has been appointed as acting publisher and CEO and will assume the role immediately, the publication said.
—Dennis Romero, NBC news, 7 Feb. 2026
The Post’s chief financial officer, Jeff D’Onofrio, was named acting publisher and CEO.
—David Bauder, Chicago Tribune, 7 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for acting
Recent Examples of Synonyms for acting
Adjective
-
He will be replaced on a temporary basis by Rafa Yuste, the club’s current sporting vice-president, who will serve as interim president until June 30.—
Laia Cervelló Herrero,
New York Times,
9 Feb. 2026
-
The interim government has faced criticism over the past year for making broad development promises based on MoUs with foreign investors, many of which have yet to be converted into binding contracts.—
Reuters,
NBC news,
8 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Curry admitted that his entertainment side gigs — filmmaking and acting — require two very different skill sets.—
Joseph Dycus,
Mercury News,
11 Feb. 2026
-
In The Know, to get entertainment news sent straight to your inbox.—
John Wenzel,
Denver Post,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Baseball owners, with Dick Monfort playing a prominent role as a hawk in labor negotiations, are expected to lock out the players after this season, seeking a salary cap, believing that is the only reason the Dodgers win.—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
12 Feb. 2026
-
Back in 2013, Dodgers shortstop Hanley Ramirez tore a ligament in his thumb while playing for the Dominican Republic.—
Bill Plunkett,
Oc Register,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The launcher carries six 300 mm rockets and is operated by a small crew working from within an armored cabin designed to protect against shrapnel and small-arms fire, according to reports.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
9 Feb. 2026
-
The bold plan did not pan out, and NASA is currently working to return astronauts to the lunar surface by 2028 — the timeframe the agency had been working toward in the Obama era.—
Jackie Wattles,
CNN Money,
9 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
After Monday's practice, the Patriots social media team shared a photo and videos from the session, seeming to show Maye throwing a deep ball.—
Matt Schooley,
CBS News,
5 Feb. 2026
-
The film’s director and lead actor, Christopher Guest, had shown her scenes of their co-stars already seeming comfortable in their heavily improvised roles.—
Paula Mejía,
The Atlantic,
4 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
At one point, a song disparaging Noem and serving as an anti-ICE anthem that’s been widely circulated on social media could be heard coming from a crowd gathered outside the stadium.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Feb. 2026
-
Anutin has been prime minister only since last September, after serving in the Cabinet of his immediate predecessor, Paetongtarn Shinawatra, who was forced out of office for an ethics violation regarding mishandling relations with Cambodia.—
GRANT PECK,
Arkansas Online,
9 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Chris Kreider, winger, B+ Jacob Trouba, defenseman, B+ Both players were jettisoned by the New York Rangers, who sunk in the standings and have continued selling off after pretending as though their leadership group was the issue.—
Andrew Knoll,
Oc Register,
7 Feb. 2026
-
The new study provides the first evidence of an animal pretending in a situation researchers could control.—
Evan Bush,
NBC news,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Late-night hosts, including Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Kimmel, and Seth Meyers, have been mocking the documentary.—
Kinsey Crowley,
USA Today,
5 Feb. 2026
-
Link was captured on Ring camera footage mocking and belittling Jimenez after shooting him, prosecutors say.—
Grethel Aguila,
Miami Herald,
5 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Acting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/acting. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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