acted up

verb

past tense of act up
1
as in acted out
to behave badly the two-year-old was acting up in church so much that her dad had to take her outside

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in cut up
to engage in attention-getting playful or boisterous behavior you should have seen the boys acting up when they put on their aprons

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 up 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for acted up
  1. acted out
  2. cut up
  3. disobeyed
  4. showed off
  5. carried on
  6. fooled around
  7. rebelled
  8. reveled
Verb
  • 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
Definition of acted out
Verb
  • After Szabo cuts up Matt’s face in one of many graphic scenes, the actor loses his career and just about everything else in his life.
    — Glenn Garner, Deadline, 21 Oct. 2026
  • Union President Carrie Kyung said the plan includes cutting up to 18 English learner teachers and would affect at least two dozen schools.
    — Jason Rantala, CBS News, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of cut up
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
  • During the ribbon-cutting for the wind farm, some construction workers showed off massive new turbine tattoos.
    — Sara Herschander, Vox, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Keri Russell once again showed off her impressive foot arch in a dramatically steep pair of minimalist mules.
    — Karla Rodriguez, Footwear News, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of showed off
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
  • Not too long ago, artificial intelligence was more or less a science project in which data scientists and developers fooled around with one-off small or test projects.
    — Joe McKendrick, Forbes.com, 26 Jan. 2026
Definition of fooled around
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
Verb
  • Navarrete reveled with one woman over her husband’s release from a detention facility.
    — Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Walker wore his Cardinals hat backward, chewed a big wad of bubble gum and reveled afterward in flashing his imitation Liberty Bell bling, the champions chain presented by Ryan Howard.
    — Dan Gelston, Chicago Tribune, 17 July 2026
Definition of reveled

Browse Nearby Words

acted (toward)
acted up
acting
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Cite this Entry

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

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