act on/upon

phrasal verb

acted on/upon; acting on/upon; acts on/upon
: to use (something, such as a feeling or suggestion) as a reason or basis for doing something
They never acted on the information they had.
It's okay to feel angry or jealous, but you mustn't act on those feelings.

Examples of act on/upon in a Sentence

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Intellectually, Cousins knew laughter was good for the body, producing endorphins, chemicals produced in the brain that act on the same receptors as morphine to mask pain. Bryant Stamford, The Courier-Journal, 26 Dec. 2024 Yet most are struggling to act on the scale necessary to help the world avoid the worst effects of warming. Justin Worland, TIME, 26 Dec. 2024 Yavapai County Sheriff David Rhodes, president of the Arizona Sheriff's Association, is asking the state Legislature for $100 million over the next two years so four counties can hire new deputies and act on other plans to prepare for the possibility Proposition 314 could go into effect. Ray Stern, The Arizona Republic, 24 Dec. 2024 These conditions often cause increased sweating as well, so these flushing episodes are sometimes called wet flushes.2 Flushing related to substances that act on the blood vessels may have causes such as rosacea and certain medications or foods. Sarah Hudgens, Health, 20 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for act on/upon 

Dictionary Entries Near act on/upon

Cite this Entry

“Act on/upon.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/act%20on%2Fupon. Accessed 2 Jan. 2025.

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