ACT UP Synonyms: 58 Similar and Opposite Words

act up

verb

Definition of act up next

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

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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

Recent Examples of Synonyms for act up

Verb

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