as in running 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
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Recent Examples of acting out
The plaintiffs claim the administration is acting out of racial animus.
—
Miami Herald Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 6 Feb. 2026
Read on to find out why your child may be acting out, and when to seek help.
—Melissa Willets, Parents, 5 Feb. 2026
The actors joked about how trying to put on medical gloves quickly enough while remembering and acting out dialogue can make scenes go sideways in a heartbeat.
—Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 30 Dec. 2025
This world is rarely gentle to people who are hurt, vulnerable, acting out.
—Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 24 Dec. 2025
In October 2015, his mother, Amy, told The New York Times that after his father's death, Davidson began acting out in school and, at one point, ripped all his hair out.
—Catherine Santino, PEOPLE, 19 Dec. 2025
When school started, the boy's parents quickly became aware their son was having outbursts and acting out physically.
—Rachel Wegner, Nashville Tennessean, 19 Dec. 2025
Gen Z is making risky investments The third way Gen Z is acting out against their inability to buy a home, the researchers argue, is by taking on risky investments, like buying cryptocurrencies.
—Sydney Lake, Fortune, 12 Dec. 2025
The Kinahans seemed to be acting out of pure rage.
—Ed Caesar, New Yorker, 20 Oct. 2025
Miami Herald Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 6 Feb. 2026
Read on to find out why your child may be acting out, and when to seek help.
—Melissa Willets, Parents, 5 Feb. 2026
The actors joked about how trying to put on medical gloves quickly enough while remembering and acting out dialogue can make scenes go sideways in a heartbeat.
—Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 30 Dec. 2025
This world is rarely gentle to people who are hurt, vulnerable, acting out.
—Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 24 Dec. 2025
In October 2015, his mother, Amy, told The New York Times that after his father's death, Davidson began acting out in school and, at one point, ripped all his hair out.
—Catherine Santino, PEOPLE, 19 Dec. 2025
When school started, the boy's parents quickly became aware their son was having outbursts and acting out physically.
—Rachel Wegner, Nashville Tennessean, 19 Dec. 2025
Gen Z is making risky investments The third way Gen Z is acting out against their inability to buy a home, the researchers argue, is by taking on risky investments, like buying cryptocurrencies.
—Sydney Lake, Fortune, 12 Dec. 2025
The Kinahans seemed to be acting out of pure rage.
—Ed Caesar, New Yorker, 20 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for acting out
Verb
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Likewise, when the young men started acting up, Josephine Holt took a keen interest in her newspaper.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
21 Jan. 2026
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If your trackpad is acting up, keyboard shortcuts can keep you productive without fighting the cursor.—
Ken Colburn,
AZCentral.com,
19 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Each year, the world's top tennis players descend on the US for the Sunshine Double—BNP in California followed by the Miami Open—those who were cut quickly from the former often stop in for some rallies in Arizona before carrying on to Florida.—
David Shaftel,
Condé Nast Traveler,
10 Feb. 2026
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Over the weekend, business leaders offered a mix of responses after federal agents shot Alex Pretti in Minneapolis, revealing yet again how one of America’s most powerful cohorts is — publicly, at least — carrying on with business as usual.—
Allison Morrow,
CNN Money,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The country's Supreme Court of Justice removed him from office in 2017 and sentenced him to prison for disobeying a court order to remove barricades during protests against the government of then-President Nicolás Maduro.—
Patricia Gallagher Newberry,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
31 Jan. 2026
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The driver, identified as 50-year-old Dawn Dubois, was arrested and charged with operating under the Influence, disobeying the signal of an officer and failure to drive in proper lane, according to state police.—
Staff Report,
Hartford Courant,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Amid all that, Varsity Blues — about a Texas high-school football team rebelling against its abusive coach and holding on to one last gasp of glory before graduation — got a little lost.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
11 Feb. 2026
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In the meantime, an unstable government could become more rather than less aggressive, not least to keep younger hard-liners from rebelling.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
10 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Acting out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/acting%20out. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
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