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
The hourlong descent appeared to go well until the final approach when the laser navigation system began acting up.
—
Marcia Dunn, Los Angeles Times, 6 Mar. 2025
An audio issue or two aside, Netflix mostly didn’t act up.
—Jennifer Zhan, Vulture, 24 Feb. 2025
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
As such, when a supporting character acts up, Dreux or Alyssa can rib them, but not too viciously.
—Fred Topel, Deadline, 17 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for act up
Marcia Dunn, Los Angeles Times, 6 Mar. 2025
An audio issue or two aside, Netflix mostly didn’t act up.
—Jennifer Zhan, Vulture, 24 Feb. 2025
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
As such, when a supporting character acts up, Dreux or Alyssa can rib them, but not too viciously.
—Fred Topel, Deadline, 17 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for act up
Recent Examples of Synonyms for act up
Verb
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Durant can, at times, string together 8-10 minute long takes, acting out everything in a particular scene, so precision is key.—
Brian Welk,
IndieWire,
19 Mar. 2025
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However, Trump is far from the only one pushing this idea: several states are considering their own versions, including Oklahoma, which passed a strategic Bitcoin reserve act out of committee last week.—
Andrew R. Chow,
TIME,
4 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Customers who attended the events were among the first to pick up the new Model Y. Prior-generation Model Y inventory gets big price cuts up to $6,900 Some of the prior-generation Model Y on the inventory page are discounted between $3,000 and $7,000.—
Brooke Crothers,
Forbes,
15 Mar. 2025
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Speaking as someone who is just as likely to slice up his fingers as cut a cucumber into thin, appetizing slices, a vegetable chopper can remove the work (and pain) that goes into cutting up vegetables, fruits and other foods.—
Ho Lin,
Miami Herald,
3 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Joe Jonas‘ upcoming solo album is officially arriving on May 23, as revealed in an Instagram video the superstar shared on Wednesday (March 26) showing off the vinyl edition of the project.—
Rania Aniftos,
Billboard,
26 Mar. 2025
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Some eagle-eyed viewers noticed the Duchess’s whimsical gardening gloves amongst the flowers and wicker baskets, and what was once just another planting tool is now an opportunity to show off your style.—
Nora Taylor,
Architectural Digest,
24 Mar. 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 law against creating an environment where children are made to believe that disobeying their pastor’s wishes will cause horrible prophecies to come true.—
Guthrie Scrimgeour,
Rolling Stone,
16 Mar. 2025
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There is evidence and documentation of all kinds of findings that feel like the stuff of sci-fi: vehicles that appear to disobey the laws of physics, difficult-to-explain interference with American military activity and, indeed, the bodies of intelligent, nonhuman beings.—
Selome Hailu,
Variety,
9 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Students from Central Academy transferring to the Eagle and Meridian academies would have the option of attending morning or afternoon instruction — or carrying on with full-day instruction.—
Rose Evans,
Idaho Statesman,
14 Mar. 2025
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Fifty-six years later, the company is still carrying on that mission and delivering some pretty darned exhilarating performances in the process.—
Randy McMullen,
The Mercury News,
13 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Major stock indexes have erased their post-electoral gains, as investors rebel against the prospect of higher costs.—
Carlo Angerer,
NBC News,
13 Mar. 2025
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This is not the first time Kidman has played a woman rebelling against the gilded confines of her existence, so the actress delivers a reliably fine performance.—
Lovia Gyarkye,
The Hollywood Reporter,
10 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Act up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/act%20up. Accessed 30 Mar. 2025.
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