acted out

verb

past tense of act out
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

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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 acted out But this post-apocalyptic drama turns out to be actually a play, being acted out on a technologically complex stage. — Richard Brody, New Yorker, 15 Oct. 2026 Prosecutors claimed Davis acted out of revenge for Shakur and his crew previously beating on Orlando Anderson, Davis’ nephew. — Dominic Patten, Deadline, 13 Oct. 2026 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 Whether defendant Tyler Robinson acted out of political animus could be key for prosecutors seeking the death penalty — or for his attorneys in taking that punishment off the table. — ABC News, 19 Aug. 2026 Whether defendant Tyler Robinson acted out of political animus could be key for prosecutors seeking the death penalty - or for his attorneys in taking that punishment off the table. — CBS News, 19 Aug. 2026 Pious femininity was being acted out with costumes, makeup, and abundant use of amen. — Robin Givhan, Vanity Fair, 19 Aug. 2026 Perhaps the threat wasn’t quite so dire, or its parameters were not well-enough defined, and the Secret Service acted out of a superabundance of caution. — Tom Nichols, The Atlantic, 12 Aug. 2026 During one scene, Einbinder — dressed in a replica of a black dress Gyllenhaal wore in the original film — acted out an explicit orgasm as described in the script, breaking character in the middle of the scene to double over laughing. — Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 29 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for acted out
  1. disobeyed
  2. acted up
  3. carried on
  4. rebelled
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
  • Jeanie Buss also wants proof that Joey and Janie Buss disobeyed the 2017 court order, along with an order requiring them to show cause of why they should not be held in contempt of court.
    — Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of disobeyed
Verb
  • And of course, Peterson not playing would have made some wonder if the McDonald’s All-American’s hamstring had acted up again.
    — Gary Bedore, Kansas City Star, 7 Dec. 2025
Definition of acted up
Verb
  • Notably, the three polling aggregators mentioned in the statement are not broadcast stations or news networks whose programming is carried on local broadcast stations.
    — Jon Brodkin, ArsTechnica, 21 Oct. 2026
  • Lee left, and Case and Collins carried on briefly as the Breakaways with several guitarists.
    — Cary Baker, SPIN, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of carried on
Verb
  • Collin, 22 While the show was filming, Collin often rebelled against the production by acting detached rather than performing for the cameras.
    — Isabella Albaig, Vulture, 21 Oct. 2026
  • The Manhunters rebelled against the Guardians, and most were killed; the sole survivor is hiding out in Rushville disguised as a human.
    — Jennifer Ouellette, ArsTechnica, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of rebelled

Browse Nearby Words

acted
acted out
acted (toward)
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Cite this Entry

“Acted out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/acted%20out. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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