act 1 of 2

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as in turn
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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as in law
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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act

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verb

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as in to work
to produce a desired effect the painkiller acted surprisingly quickly

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3
as in to seem
to give the impression of being always acting helpless, just to get attention

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as in to serve
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 to mock
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 act in a Sentence

These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Taipei, Taiwan Reuters — A real Chinese blockade of Taiwan would be an act of war and have far-reaching consequences for international trade, Defense Minister Wellington Koo said on Wednesday after last week’s drills by China that practiced such a scenario. Reuters, CNN, 23 Oct. 2024 Neeson could certainly have a third act as a comedy star. Eric Andersson, People.com, 23 Oct. 2024
Verb
The motifs on the seals acted as an early form of branding to identify commodities, according to the study authors. Ashley Strickland, CNN, 5 Nov. 2024 Ultimately, a federal system that endows states with substantial authority can act as a powerful custodian of democracy, one that goes well beyond the mere involvement of state officials in the electoral system. Jenna Bednar, Foreign Affairs, 5 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for act 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for act
Noun
  • And that, in turn, means that anyone with something to sell is incentivized to push that kind of content to boost their profits.
    Meriem Mahdhi, WIRED, 1 Nov. 2024
  • Video, photography, and digital art would, in turn, seamlessly translate into digital advertising and social media campaigns.
    Natasha Degen, Artforum, 1 Nov. 2024
Noun
  • Footage from the two PA rallies will appear in a special livestream show that’ll spotlight a variety of campaign events taking place in battleground states tonight.
    Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 4 Nov. 2024
  • The Tony Award-winning Broadway show’s North American tour is hitting Seattle, Los Angeles, San Diego and other U.S. cities in the coming weeks and months.
    Erin Lassner, The Hollywood Reporter, 4 Nov. 2024
Noun
  • Beyond regulations and laws, other elements of college life keep students from voting.
    Zachary Schermele, USA TODAY, 2 Nov. 2024
  • Election 2024 More 2 more Russian disinformation videos are circulating online, sources say New Louisiana election laws creating challenges for voters with disabilities Was your ballot received and counted?
    Flora Garamvolgyi, CBS News, 2 Nov. 2024
Noun
  • Shot in a single take, Night Shift tells the story of a desperate and dirt-poor Khun (played by Chatchai), who decides to pack things up to have a better life in the city.
    Sara Merican, Deadline, 31 Oct. 2024
  • But then things start looking up — at least briefly.
    Angie Martoccio, Rolling Stone, 31 Oct. 2024
Verb
  • Mack played only a handful of snaps because of a groin injury.
    Elliott Teaford, Orange County Register, 10 Nov. 2024
  • The graduate student didn’t play in the season opener at Texas, only got in the game late against UNC, and played sparingly against CU before breaking out with a 156-yard, two-touchdown performance against UTEP.
    Kyle Newman, The Denver Post, 10 Nov. 2024
Verb
  • The pair, who met while working on 2017’s Spider-Man: Homecoming and began dating in 2021, have kept their relationship relatively private.
    Kimberlee Speakman, People.com, 2 Nov. 2024
  • Mark Zandi, Chief Economist, Moody's Analytics The U.S. economy will perform better and working Americans will fare better if Vice President Harris wins the presidency, as economic policy will remain largely unchanged.
    Marco Rubio, Newsweek, 2 Nov. 2024
Verb
  • Additionally, Apple Intelligence with Siri doesn't seem to be fully baked just yet.
    PCMAG, PCMAG, 7 Nov. 2024
  • Harris introduced an Opportunity Agenda for Black Men, outlining what her administration would do to support that voting constituency that seemed movable.
    Curtis Bunn, NBC News, 7 Nov. 2024
Verb
  • Kristin Canning is a freelance journalist with over a decade of experience, serving as the former features director at Women's Health Magazine, and holding prior editor positions at Health, SELF, and Men's Health.
    Condé Nast, WIRED, 1 Nov. 2024
  • September serves as a reminder to you that life is cyclical—what goes up must come down, and no hardship lasts forever.
    Meghan Rose, Glamour, 1 Nov. 2024

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Cite this Entry

“Act.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/act. Accessed 13 Nov. 2024.

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