acting out

verb

present participle of act out
as in running riot
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 acting out If Graham fails in her bid, she can be forgiven for acting out of loyalty and love for her brother. — Kathleen Parker, Washington Post, 8 Oct. 2026 The diagnosis came after the actor learned that his own behavior of acting out dreams could be an early Parkinson's symptom. — Melissa Rudy, FOXNews.com, 6 Oct. 2026 Inside, under flickering lights, a group of reluctant strangers is coaxed into acting out, in a converted gymnasium, a wild tale promising redemption from agonizing tragedy. — Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 5 Sep. 2026 Traditional Rocky Horror movie showings include a costumed cast acting out the events on screen, with bags of props handed out for audience participation during certain scenes. — Anna Ortiz, Chicago Tribune, 28 Aug. 2026 Garcia lends the whole song theater-kid interpretation, essentially acting out the lyrics in pantomime, grasping out in front of her, clutching her face. — Rebecca Alter, Vulture, 25 Aug. 2026 When the child started acting out at home, his family reportedly started asking questions of the boy and made a report to law enforcement. — Mary Whitfill Roeloffs, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026 The film’s star, Robin Williams, can be seen acting out a scene with costar Adam Zolotin, who played young Louis. — Angela Andaloro, PEOPLE, 30 July 2026 Abarca claimed that White was acting out an ongoing vendetta against him. — Ilana Arougheti july 21, Kansas City Star, 21 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for acting out
  1. acting up
  2. carrying on
  3. disobeying
  4. rebelling
Verb
  • But sleep was hard to come by, with her daughter’s asthma acting up and the anxiety of the hearing the following day.
    — Syra Ortiz Blanes, Miami Herald, 17 Sep. 2026
  • Baye continued acting up until 2023.
    — Kimberlee Speakman, PEOPLE, 18 Apr. 2026
Definition of acting up
Verb
  • There’s been a lot of talk about carrying on her work, especially during these times when people feel like some of it has been eroded.
    — Helen Carefoot, Flow Space, 7 Oct. 2026
  • In the tangled greenery of a Ugandan national park, mountain gorillas sit among the leaves, calmly carrying on as tourists trek into their forest home.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of carrying on
Verb
  • Cops had issued summonses to the driver twice before, once in 2024 for failing to yield to a pedestrian and in 2018 for disobeying a traffic device, officials said.
    — Rocco Parascandola, New York Daily News, 11 Sep. 2026
  • The violations are disobeying orders and conduct unbecoming an officer.
    — Charlie D'Agata, CBS News, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of disobeying
Verb
  • Saudi commentators publicly cast the UAE as a younger sibling rebelling against a wiser one.
    — Mostafa Salem, CNN Money, 10 Oct. 2026
  • The data demonstrates that anxious workforces tend to overcompensate with high performance before quitting, rebelling or failing.
    — Stacey Zolt Hara, Fortune, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of rebelling

Browse Nearby Words

acting
acting out
acting (toward)
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Acting out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/acting%20out. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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