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as in show
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in thing
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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1
as in to play
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 to pretend
to present a false appearance of
if you act confident long enough, you'll begin to actually feel it
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6
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
Recent Examples on the Web
Thomas Smith, Billboard, 12 Sep. 2024
Beijing strongly condemned the act’s passing on Wednesday, accusing the U.S. of politicizing normal economic cooperation and attempting to contain Hong Kong’s development.
—Dylan Butts, CNBC, 12 Sep. 2024
Julia Moore, Peoplemag, 14 Sep. 2024
Many films have become popular this way, especially before the days of streaming: scrappy little films with a campy sense of humor and talented cast getting to play around and stretch their acting muscles in ways that feel low-stakes for their career.
—Jourdain Searles, The Hollywood Reporter, 14 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for act 
Noun
But in recent years, pop and rock acts have risen to the challenge to be a part of the programming, with Sam Smith taking on a performance backed by the BBC Orchestra earlier this summer.
—Thomas Smith, Billboard, 12 Sep. 2024
Beijing strongly condemned the act’s passing on Wednesday, accusing the U.S. of politicizing normal economic cooperation and attempting to contain Hong Kong’s development.
—Dylan Butts, CNBC, 12 Sep. 2024
Verb
The youngest of the brothers, Andrew, who is now 36, also pursued acting like his older brothers, starring in Hawaii Five-O and Disney Channel's Recess, among other works.
—Julia Moore, Peoplemag, 14 Sep. 2024
Many films have become popular this way, especially before the days of streaming: scrappy little films with a campy sense of humor and talented cast getting to play around and stretch their acting muscles in ways that feel low-stakes for their career.
—Jourdain Searles, The Hollywood Reporter, 14 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for act
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'act.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Act.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/act. Accessed 21 Sep. 2024.
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