1
as in to act out
to behave badly
the two-year-old was acting up in church so much that her dad had to take her outside
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to cut up
to engage in attention-getting playful or boisterous behavior
you should have seen the boys acting up when they put on their aprons
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of act up
At a group dinner, Benji begins acting up and acting out, eventually storming away — only to be heard playing the piano in the next room, and beautifully.
—
Jenelle Riley, Variety, 20 Dec. 2024
Exactly zero of the acts up for Best Rock Performance, Best Rock Song, or Best Rock Album are first-time nominees.
—Justin Curto, Vulture, 8 Nov. 2024
Service animals, emotional support animals, acting up.
—Armstrong Williams, Baltimore Sun, 20 Mar. 2024
But in 1954, Brando was at the height of his talents, bringing American acting up to and past to the British standard for the first time, with a realism achieved through that delicate balancing of gender qualities that pretty much no one before or after mastered in the same way.
—Allen Farmelo, Robb Report, 23 July 2024
See All Example Sentences for act up
Jenelle Riley, Variety, 20 Dec. 2024
Exactly zero of the acts up for Best Rock Performance, Best Rock Song, or Best Rock Album are first-time nominees.
—Justin Curto, Vulture, 8 Nov. 2024
Service animals, emotional support animals, acting up.
—Armstrong Williams, Baltimore Sun, 20 Mar. 2024
But in 1954, Brando was at the height of his talents, bringing American acting up to and past to the British standard for the first time, with a realism achieved through that delicate balancing of gender qualities that pretty much no one before or after mastered in the same way.
—Allen Farmelo, Robb Report, 23 July 2024
See All Example Sentences for act up
Recent Examples of Synonyms for act up
Verb
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Gracie using Benjamin Bratt to act out self-defense moves on national TV?—
Emma Specter,
Vogue,
21 Feb. 2025
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Vanessa Saba Listen to this article · 5:23 min Learn more By Christina Caron Feb. 20, 2025 When Jennifer S. Wortham was a teenager, her younger brother Patrick started acting out and getting in trouble at school.—
Christina Caron,
New York Times,
20 Feb. 2025
Verb
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By sector, technology suffered the worst, with job cuts up 128 percent on-month to 7,488, followed by automotive (123 percent), services (106 percent), retail (96 percent), and media and news (27 percent).—
Dan Perry,
Newsweek,
13 Feb. 2025
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In the frying process, those odd crumbles can be cut up in a casual manner with a spatula.—
Cathy Thomas,
Orange County Register,
10 Feb. 2025
Verb
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The Rays’ temporary home (Steinbrenner Field) is ready to show off.—
Ken Rosenthal,
The Athletic,
17 Feb. 2025
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Along with an eye-catching diamond necklace and stud earrings by Tiffany & Co., Gomez also took the opportunity to show off her dazzling marquise engagement ring from Benny Blanco.—
Catherine Santino,
People.com,
16 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Elsewhere, two boys, Frank and Alain, get up to assorted mischief, sneaking onto a baseball diamond at night or horsing around on railroad tracks, although there are hints that Frank’s family may leave Cuba soon.—
Ben Kenigsberg,
New York Times,
9 Jan. 2025
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In the video, Payne is shown horsing around with a large outdoor crowd and his bandmates, encouraging the fans to quiet their screaming and then raise the volume all the way back up.—
Clare Mulroy,
USA TODAY,
3 Feb. 2025
Verb
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There is no right to openly violate the law and disobey law enforcement.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
11 Feb. 2025
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Todd Orlowski, 53, of Danbury was taken into custody on an arrest warrant on Friday on charges of reckless driving, disobeying signal of an officer and engaging police in pursuit, according to Connecticut State Police.—
Staff report,
Hartford Courant,
14 Jan. 2025
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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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 up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/act%20up. Accessed 27 Feb. 2025.
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