ACTS Synonyms: 215 Similar and Opposite Words

acts 1 of 2

noun

plural of act

as in numbers

a performance regularly presented by an individual or group in his nightclub act he impersonates a veritable galaxy of movie stars

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Relevance

as in shows

a display of emotion or behavior that is insincere or intended to deceive was putting on an act when she said she didn't mind being left out of the outing

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as in laws

a rule of conduct or action laid down by a governing authority and especially a legislature the Americans with Disabilities Act requires public buildings to have wheelchair access

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higher laws

as in things

something done by someone it's acts such as this—lying about having to work late—that make me feel like I can't trust you

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acts

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of act

as in plays

to present a portrayal or performance of a local student acted the part of Tiny Tim in our theater company's production of A Christmas Carol

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as in works

to produce a desired effect the painkiller acted surprisingly quickly

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as in seems

to give the impression of being always acting helpless, just to get attention

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as in functions

to have a certain purpose the tail feathers of woodpeckers act as props while the birds excavate tree trunks for insects

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as in pretends

to present a false appearance of if you act confident long enough, you'll begin to actually feel it

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as in mocks

to pretend to be (what one is not) in appearance or behavior someone who is willing to act the helpless little thing when she wants attention

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Examples of acts in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Biden-Harris did less talking—and acted by passing the CHIPS and Inflation Reduction Acts. —

Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 6 Sep. 2024 Humana has agreed to pay $90 million to the federal government to settle a whistleblower lawsuit under the False Claims Acts. —

Kathryn Gregory, The Courier-Journal, 16 Aug. 2024 The first concerns Simon Magus, or Simon the Sorcerer, a trickster and Gnostic chancer who appears briefly in the New Testament’s Book of Acts. —

James Wood, The New Yorker, 5 Aug. 2024 These Congressional Review Acts — tools Congress can use to overturn the actions of a federal agency — also aim to overturn the new rule’s Medicaid Institutional Payment Transparency reporting. —

Melissa Batchelor and Diana J. Mason, STAT, 26 July 2024 At the heart of overturning the conviction was a determination, led by Judge Jenny Rivera writing for the majority, that the inclusion of Prior Bad Acts testimony by now ex-Justice James Burke from a number of women on uncharged assault and abuse accusations was prejudicial in the 2020 trial. —

Dominic Patten, Deadline, 19 July 2024 When the Levees Broke: A Requiem in Four Acts (2006) Article continues after video. —

Lynnette Nicholas, Essence, 11 July 2024 The latest release continues their streak of chart success, joining the ranks of 2013’s Night Visions (No. 3), 2015’s Smoke & Mirrors (No. 1), 2017’s Evolve (No. 3), 2018’s Origins (No. 9), and 2021’s Mercury – Acts 1 & 2 (No. 7). —

Jessica Lynch, Billboard, 8 July 2024 America had never permanently attracted any of the great aristocratic English families, and after the Acts of Union in 1707, the Scottish nobles had tended to migrate to London, where the action was. —

Gordon S. Wood, Washington Post, 2 July 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'acts.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.