1
2
as in show
a display of emotion or behavior that is insincere or intended to deceive
was putting on an act when she said she didn't mind being left out of the outing
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in law
a rule of conduct or action laid down by a governing authority and especially a legislature
the Americans with Disabilities Act requires public buildings to have wheelchair access
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in thing
something done by someone
it's acts such as this—lying about having to work late—that make me feel like I can't trust you
Synonyms & Similar Words
1
as in to play
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
2
3
4
5
as in to pretend
to present a false appearance of
if you act confident long enough, you'll begin to actually feel it
Synonyms & Similar Words
6
as in to mock
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
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of act
Mike Ryan, IndieWire, 22 Jan. 2025
The blazer-style jacket acts as a stylish layer over blouses, button-up shirts, sweaters, and more.
—Nicol Natale, People.com, 21 Jan. 2025
Tim Balk, New York Times, 23 Jan. 2025
The 52-year-old Spanish performer scored her first Oscar nomination on Thursday morning for Best Actress, and secured a place in history in the process as no other openly trans woman has been nominated in the category — or any other acting category — across the Academy Awards' 96-year history.
—EW.com, 23 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for act 
Noun
This is foreshadowed by a rip-roaring introduction that has the sounds of musical acts spanning generations bleeding into one another in a segment that Questlove says took almost a full year to complete.
—Mike Ryan, IndieWire, 22 Jan. 2025
The blazer-style jacket acts as a stylish layer over blouses, button-up shirts, sweaters, and more.
—Nicol Natale, People.com, 21 Jan. 2025
Verb
The agency’s acting director, Ronald L. Rowe, placed several agents on restricted duty.
—Tim Balk, New York Times, 23 Jan. 2025
The 52-year-old Spanish performer scored her first Oscar nomination on Thursday morning for Best Actress, and secured a place in history in the process as no other openly trans woman has been nominated in the category — or any other acting category — across the Academy Awards' 96-year history.
—EW.com, 23 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for act
Recent Examples of Synonyms for act
Noun
-
Israel is expected to release around 2,000 Palestinian prisoners in turn.—
Alexandra Banner,
CNN,
30 Jan. 2025
-
That, in turn, decreases the amount of manual work necessary for the seller.—
Meghan Hall,
Sourcing Journal,
30 Jan. 2025
Noun
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The Associated Press will stream a three-hour red carpet show with interviews and fashion footage.—
ASSOCIATED PRESS,
TIME,
2 Feb. 2025
-
The tug-of-war raged all week over whether the Chinese startup’s efficient, lower-cost artificial intelligence model would reduce the need for as many of Nvidia ‘s hard-to-get and expensive AI chips, which are the best in show.—
Matthew J. Belvedere,Kevin Stankiewicz,
CNBC,
2 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
Other individuals were also allegedly involved in the trafficking scheme, but no identifying information about the other suspects was provided by Kyrgyzstan's law agency due to the ongoing investigation.—
Dan Perry,
Newsweek,
31 Jan. 2025
-
The town has been unable to import a replacement due to New Jersey laws meant to stop the spread of rabies, according to Milltown Mel’s Facebook page.—
Brian Niemietz,
New York Daily News,
31 Jan. 2025
Noun
-
Those are the kinds of things that make (Trenin) a difficult player to play against.—
Joe Smith,
The Athletic,
30 Jan. 2025
-
And don’t forget, our main character is very flawed and has done a bunch of things in the past that were not so cool to Scott’s character.—
Lynette Rice,
Deadline,
29 Jan. 2025
Verb
-
One of the greatest of all time to play the position, one of the greatest players of all time.—
Zack Rosenblatt,
The Athletic,
28 Jan. 2025
-
The talk turns gossipy when Peter tells Linda about an early evening call from an occasional hook-up, raising his eyebrows about the guy’s insistence on playing rough trade.—
David Rooney,
The Hollywood Reporter,
27 Jan. 2025
Verb
-
Collins said the collaboration worked on a number of levels.—
Melanie Goodfellow,
Deadline,
31 Jan. 2025
-
RedBird Capital Partner is a primary investor with a long history of working with sports properties.—
Mac Engel,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
31 Jan. 2025
Verb
-
Nothing seems as appealing as my soft and stretchy pajama bottoms — but maybe, just maybe, Scarlett Johansson’s mega-voluminous pants are the exception.—
Alyssa Grabinski,
People.com,
25 Jan. 2025
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But Lynch, who died last week, at seventy-eight, made films in which every cheerful surface seemed to obscure an eerie reality.—
Joshua Rothman,
The New Yorker,
25 Jan. 2025
Verb
-
Thomas Delage, Vogue France’s Fashion & Jewelry Senior Market Editor, served as co-host.—
Ian Malone,
Vogue,
30 Jan. 2025
-
The pieces served as symbols and metaphors of the detainees’ experiences.—
Alexandra Moore,
The Conversation,
30 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near act
Cite this Entry
“Act.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/act. Accessed 5 Feb. 2025.
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