act out
verb
acted out; acting out; acts out
1
a
: to represent in action
children act out what they read
b
: to translate into action
unwilling to act out their beliefs
2
: to express (something, such as an impulse or a fantasy) directly in overt behavior without modification to comply with social norms
: to behave badly or in a socially unacceptable often self-defeating manner especially as a means of venting painful emotions (such as fear or frustration)
Examples of act out in a Sentence
because his parents spent so much time with his chronically ill sister, the boy resorted to acting out in order to get attention
Recent Examples on the Web
During the Renaissance, people in Italy would act out live nativity scenes to help tell the Christmas story.
—
Megan Boettcher, Better Homes & Gardens, 6 Dec. 2024
Denzel is finally able to act out his one-time fantasy of portraying Jean-Jacques Dessalines in a movie about the Haitian revolution.
—Armond White, National Review, 6 Dec. 2024
As the train departs the depot for the North Pole to pick up Santa, onboard chefs serve hot chocolate and cookies, while dancing and acting out a reading from The Polar Express book.
—Evie Carrick, Travel + Leisure, 2 Dec. 2024
Nearly a decade later, viewers who tuned in to watch The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia were probably expecting to see those events acted out on their TV screens.
—Stephen Deusner, SPIN, 23 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for act out 
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Megan Boettcher, Better Homes & Gardens, 6 Dec. 2024
Denzel is finally able to act out his one-time fantasy of portraying Jean-Jacques Dessalines in a movie about the Haitian revolution.
—Armond White, National Review, 6 Dec. 2024
As the train departs the depot for the North Pole to pick up Santa, onboard chefs serve hot chocolate and cookies, while dancing and acting out a reading from The Polar Express book.
—Evie Carrick, Travel + Leisure, 2 Dec. 2024
Nearly a decade later, viewers who tuned in to watch The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia were probably expecting to see those events acted out on their TV screens.
—Stephen Deusner, SPIN, 23 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for act out
Dictionary Entries Near act out
Cite this Entry
“Act out.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/act%20out. Accessed 15 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
act out
transitive verb
: to express (as an impulse or a fantasy) directly in overt behavior without modification to comply with social norms
act out an adolescent fantasy
: to behave badly or in a socially unacceptable often self-defeating manner especially as a means of venting painful emotions (as fear or frustration)
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