act out

verb

Definition of act outnext
as in to misconduct
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

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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 act out Some of the stories are just spoken matter-of-factly, while others are acted out with Jaku doing all the voices. — Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 2 Oct. 2026 Jo, raised by her grandmother, is hyperactive, wild, free-spirited, and a talented artist but often acts out in school. — Parents, 25 Sep. 2026 The better to act out empire’s idea of what disgusting demonic sickness looks like. — Literary Hub, 15 Sep. 2026 An indiscriminate cast of men and women, boys and girls, is asked to act out athletic tasks. — Megan Feringa, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for act out
Recent Examples of Synonyms for act out
  1. misconduct
  2. disobey
  3. carry on
  4. act up
  5. rebel
Verb
  • The Utah Supreme Court ordered a new trial last year, pointing to misconduct by investigators.
    — Landon Mion, FOXNews.com, 30 Sep. 2026
  • In addition, referees were instructed to apply the rules regarding fouls and misconducts more strictly – a move meant to protect players and their inventiveness.
    — Cesar R. Torres, The Conversation, 26 May 2026
Definition of misconduct
Verb
  • The creditors’ lawsuit describes Kenny as a bullying presence who routinely threatened to fire anyone who disobeyed his orders.
    — Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 1 Oct. 2026
  • Cops had issued summonses to the driver twice before, once in 2024 for failing to yield to a pedestrian and in 2018 for disobeying a traffic device, officials said.
    — Rocco Parascandola, New York Daily News, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of disobey
Verb
  • There’s been a lot of talk about carrying on her work, especially during these times when people feel like some of it has been eroded.
    — Helen Carefoot, Flow Space, 7 Oct. 2026
  • This hotel carries on the best of Edinburgh traditions while going above and beyond with 21st-century comforts.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of carry on
Verb
  • But sleep was hard to come by, with her daughter’s asthma acting up and the anxiety of the hearing the following day.
    — Syra Ortiz Blanes, Miami Herald, 17 Sep. 2026
  • Six weeks later, when that integration acts up again, the institutional memory that used to shorten the investigation may not be there.
    — Sanjay Gidwani, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of act up
Verb
  • Saudi commentators publicly cast the UAE as a younger sibling rebelling against a wiser one.
    — Mostafa Salem, CNN Money, 10 Oct. 2026
  • Related Articles As with other members of Viennese Actionism, active in the 1960s and ’70s in the Austrian capital, Weiner’s work sought to rebel against the country’s conservative society in the decades following World War II.
    — Francesca Aton, ARTnews.com, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of rebel

Browse Nearby Words

actors
act out
actress
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Act out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/act%20out. Accessed 14 Oct. 2026.

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