as in to raise hell
to behave badly
because his parents spent so much time with his chronically ill sister, the boy resorted to acting out in order to get attention
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Recent Examples of act out
In that sense, Mad Bills to Pay is a classic coming-of-age story about growing up and taking on responsiblity, about committing major actions and not just acting out.
—
Jordan Mintzer, The Hollywood Reporter, 31 Jan. 2025
The research highlights the need to rethink how young students who act out are treated by educators, given the dire consequences of defaulting to traditional modes of punishment.
—Abhimanyu Ghoshal, New Atlas, 31 Jan. 2025
First came Bob Dylan acting out A Complete Unknown before giving the thumbs-up to James Mangold, now Rebecca Hall getting a pronunciation guide from Linda Rosenkrantz.
—Bethy Squires, Vulture, 27 Jan. 2025
Worst-case scenario, if Carter acts out again, Golden State can simply cut her and look to the 2026 draft for its next chance at a star.
7.
—Sabreena Merchant, The Athletic, 21 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for act out
Jordan Mintzer, The Hollywood Reporter, 31 Jan. 2025
The research highlights the need to rethink how young students who act out are treated by educators, given the dire consequences of defaulting to traditional modes of punishment.
—Abhimanyu Ghoshal, New Atlas, 31 Jan. 2025
First came Bob Dylan acting out A Complete Unknown before giving the thumbs-up to James Mangold, now Rebecca Hall getting a pronunciation guide from Linda Rosenkrantz.
—Bethy Squires, Vulture, 27 Jan. 2025
Worst-case scenario, if Carter acts out again, Golden State can simply cut her and look to the 2026 draft for its next chance at a star.
7.
—Sabreena Merchant, The Athletic, 21 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for act out
Recent Examples of Synonyms for act out
Verb
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There is some chance that the Court, which knows that its popularity and public trust are at historic lows, will fear that this President might contemplate disobeying a court’s order to issue citizenship documents, and choose not to test him.—
Jeannie Suk Gersen,
The New Yorker,
22 Jan. 2025
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Stella explains that Damon lied about disobeying orders and that there have been trust issues in the past.—
Vlada Gelman,
TVLine,
9 Oct. 2024
Verb
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Those who want to watch the USWNT games online can livestream them on TBS and NBC Universo, both carried on all three of Sling’s base plans.—
Danielle Directo-Meston,
The Hollywood Reporter,
19 Feb. 2025
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His family carries on his legacy of fierce compassion, stubborn persistence, and commitment to cheering on the Knicks.—
Jack Smart,
People.com,
17 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Allergies acting up: Homeowners who are sensitive to dust, pollen, or animal hair may notice their allergies acting up before anything else.—
Daley Quinn,
Southern Living,
18 Jan. 2025
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As such, when a supporting character acts up, Dreux or Alyssa can rib them, but not too viciously.—
Fred Topel,
Deadline,
17 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Perhaps her subconscious is rebelling, realizing she’s been crossing too many moral and ethical lines.—
Noel Murray,
Vulture,
6 Feb. 2025
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In the early stages of the Cold War, Hungary, a client state controlled by the USSR, rebelled, fueled by student demonstrations arguing for secession and freedom of speech.—
Daniel Seifert,
JSTOR Daily,
5 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Act out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/act%20out. Accessed 28 Feb. 2025.
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