Synonyms of acted

acted

verb

past tense of act

1

as in played

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

• played
• performed
• portrayed
• interpreted
• depicted
• did
• represented
• impersonated
• enacted
• dramatized
• rendered
• role-played
• acted out
• pantomimed
• mimicked
• masqueraded
• imitated
• mimed
• underplayed
• overacted
• posed (as)
• aped
• overplayed
• took on
• clowned
• playacted
• hammed
• costarred
• starred (in)
• coacted

2

as in worked

to produce a desired effect

the painkiller acted surprisingly quickly

Synonyms & Similar Words

• worked
• performed
• operated
• reacted
• took
• responded
• behaved
• resulted
• took effect
• took hold
• affected
• influenced
• swayed
• redounded
• panned out

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• backfired
• fizzled

3

as in seemed

to give the impression of being

always acting helpless, just to get attention

Synonyms & Similar Words

• seemed
• looked
• felt
• sounded
• appeared
• made
• pretended
• came off (as)
• came across (as)
• suggested
• resembled
• recalled
• implied
• hinted
• dissembled
• insinuated

4

as in served

to have a certain purpose

the tail feathers of woodpeckers act as props while the birds excavate tree trunks for insects

Synonyms & Similar Words

• served
• functioned
• worked
• performed
• operated
• directed
• controlled
• handled
• managed
• administered
• regulated
• guided
• ran
• carried on
• supervised
• oversaw

5

as in pretended

to present a false appearance of

if you act confident long enough, you'll begin to actually feel it

Synonyms & Similar Words

• pretended
• assumed
• simulated
• affected
• feigned
• professed
• passed (for)
• made believe
• dissembled
• bluffed
• posed
• shammed
• put on
• faked
• forged
• played
• counterfeited
• concealed
• masqueraded
• imitated
• impersonated
• disguised
• camouflaged
• masked
• let on
• dissimulated
• playacted
• feinted
• malingered

6

as in mocked

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

• played
• mocked
• portrayed
• imitated
• posed (as)
• impersonated
• personated
• masqueraded (as)
• mimicked
• copied
• parodied
• mimed
• aped
• performed
• travestied
• monkeyed

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of acted

The man who crashed an explosive-laden truck into a Michigan synagogue where scores of children were at daycare acted as an operative of Hezbollah, the foreign terrorist organization based in Lebanon, federal officials said March 30. —Michael Loria, USA Today, 31 Mar. 2026

Firms acted like the metaphorical kid in a candy store with talent, grabbing every shiny new candidate that crossed their applicant tracking system, with some, like Amazon, even doubling their headcount between 2019 and 2021. —Jake Angelo, Fortune, 31 Mar. 2026

In an interview with CBS News Texas on Monday, Bazaldua said Tolbert acted inappropriately. —Jack Fink, CBS News, 31 Mar. 2026

Michele Brophy acted as a mentor to the woman — who did not respond to a request from CT Mirror for an interview. —Laura Tillman, Hartford Courant, 30 Mar. 2026

Call to arms The Twins acted coyly for a while about who would get the starting pitching assignments for the rest of the Royals series, but right-handers Joe Ryan (Wednesday night) and Taj Bradley (Thursday afternoon) will round things out, Shelton said. —David Brown, Twin Cities, 30 Mar. 2026

Bessent simply acted swiftly and tactically, with little regard for precedent and a high tolerance for political risk. —Ben Smith, semafor.com, 30 Mar. 2026

The board has always acted unanimously and has been unafraid to stand up for the taxpayers and face down the most powerful man in the city. —New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 30 Mar. 2026

Citi India acted as financial advisor to United Spirits while AZB & Partners was its attorney. —Luisa Beltran, Sportico.com, 24 Mar. 2026