act out
verb
acted out; acting out; acts out
1
a
: to represent in action
children act out what they read
b
: to translate into action
unwilling to act out their beliefs
2
: to express (something, such as an impulse or a fantasy) directly in overt behavior without modification to comply with social norms
: to behave badly or in a socially unacceptable often self-defeating manner especially as a means of venting painful emotions (such as fear or frustration)
Examples of act out in a Sentence
because his parents spent so much time with his chronically ill sister, the boy resorted to acting out in order to get attention
Recent Examples on the Web
So maybe, on some level, Jeff was acting out his cavalier attitude toward his own masculine spirit.
—
Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 27 Jan. 2025
But by high school, Daniel began getting into trouble and acting out at home and in school, his father told the Miami Herald in the months after the stabbings.
—David Goodhue, Miami Herald, 24 Jan. 2025
That day a student who had previously been disruptive in the classroom began to act out again, KDFW reported.
—Harriet Ramos, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 23 Jan. 2025
Sustained misery: If Butler isn’t traded by Feb. 6, opts into his 2025-26 Heat salary because of either a lack of outside money or outside interest, and then turns these past few weeks of acting out into months and months and months.
—Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 23 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for act out 
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.
Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 27 Jan. 2025
But by high school, Daniel began getting into trouble and acting out at home and in school, his father told the Miami Herald in the months after the stabbings.
—David Goodhue, Miami Herald, 24 Jan. 2025
That day a student who had previously been disruptive in the classroom began to act out again, KDFW reported.
—Harriet Ramos, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 23 Jan. 2025
Sustained misery: If Butler isn’t traded by Feb. 6, opts into his 2025-26 Heat salary because of either a lack of outside money or outside interest, and then turns these past few weeks of acting out into months and months and months.
—Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 23 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for act out
Dictionary Entries Near act out
Cite this Entry
“Act out.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/act%20out. Accessed 8 Feb. 2025.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
act out
transitive verb
: to express (as an impulse or a fantasy) directly in overt behavior without modification to comply with social norms
act out an adolescent fantasy
: to behave badly or in a socially unacceptable often self-defeating manner especially as a means of venting painful emotions (as fear or frustration)
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share