as in to raise hell
to behave badly
because his parents spent so much time with his chronically ill sister, the boy resorted to acting out in order to get attention
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Recent Examples of act out
Fellow New Jersey Democrat Rep. LaMonica McIver, acting out at the same scrum, was also arrested and charged with assaulting and impeding federal agents.
—
Peter Lucas, Boston Herald, 23 June 2025
Former Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chrétien told a panel last week that if Trump does act out, leaders should ignore him and remain calm like Carney did in his recent Oval Office meeting.
—Rob Gillies, Los Angeles Times, 15 June 2025
Up to now, Lin said, most scholars have assumed that toxic bosses act out unintentionally and by accident: They’re burned out, overtaxed or having a bad day.
—Daniel De Visé, USA Today, 6 June 2025
Comments Midway through season 6 of Boy Meets World, Rider Strong recalls feeling tired of acting out dramatic storylines for his character Shawn Hunter.
—Daysia Tolentino, EW.com, 21 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for act out
Peter Lucas, Boston Herald, 23 June 2025
Former Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chrétien told a panel last week that if Trump does act out, leaders should ignore him and remain calm like Carney did in his recent Oval Office meeting.
—Rob Gillies, Los Angeles Times, 15 June 2025
Up to now, Lin said, most scholars have assumed that toxic bosses act out unintentionally and by accident: They’re burned out, overtaxed or having a bad day.
—Daniel De Visé, USA Today, 6 June 2025
Comments Midway through season 6 of Boy Meets World, Rider Strong recalls feeling tired of acting out dramatic storylines for his character Shawn Hunter.
—Daysia Tolentino, EW.com, 21 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for act out
Recent Examples of Synonyms for act out
Verb
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Summer classes and programs are still underway in South Florida and the county’s school zone cameras are still active, just waiting to mail you a ticket for disobeying the speed zone.—
Cordell Jones
July 6,
Miami Herald,
6 July 2025
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Her word was law and anyone who disobeyed it was punished.—
Carolyn Wells,
Longreads,
27 June 2025
Verb
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Or even how the sky and its painterly clouds seem to carry on and on in perpetuity.—
Nicole Kliest,
Vogue,
14 July 2025
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Matlock worked with Iggy Pop and Johnny Thunders, while lifelong friends Jones and Cook attempted to carry on together as the Professionals, but struggled to find relevance in the MTV era.—
Andy Greene,
Rolling Stone,
12 July 2025
Verb
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His calf was acting up and a decision was taken last Thursday for him and Inter’s other players with niggling injuries — Yann Bisseck, Piotr Zielinski and Benjamin Pavard — to leave the Club World Cup early.—
James Horncastle,
New York Times,
2 July 2025
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Floral and spicy notes bring to mind a meadow in full bloom (without making your allergies act up, thankfully).—
Danielle Sinay,
Glamour,
28 May 2025
Verb
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The passage of the 13th Amendment roughly six months later was the final legislation ensuring the freedom of all enslaved African Americans in the nation: both those in rebelling Confederate states and those belonging to the Union.—
Mackenzie Thomas,
The Washington Examiner,
16 June 2025
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But rank-and-file Democratic lawmakers rebelled and Newsom abandoned the effort.—
George Skelton,
Mercury News,
3 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Act out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/act%20out. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.
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