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
The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s new exhibition (March 25) takes a wary view of its own contents, which span half a millennium, arguing that the West acted out its daydreams of a docile Orient one cup-and-saucer at a time.
—
Shauna Lyon, The New Yorker, 28 Feb. 2025
The Department of Government Efficiency, which Musk does not officially lead but has acted out his objectives, has been orchestrating a campaign to drastically cut the federal workforce and budget.
—Jeanine Santucci, USA TODAY, 27 Feb. 2025
If a kid is acting out because he is being bullied, for example, the team might switch his lunch hour to separate him from the bully or help mediate a better relationship between the students.
—Aliyya Swaby, ProPublica, 8 Feb. 2025
Although no injuries have been reported, the company is acting out of caution to ensure consumer safety.
—Gordon G. Chang, Newsweek, 24 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for act out
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Shauna Lyon, The New Yorker, 28 Feb. 2025
The Department of Government Efficiency, which Musk does not officially lead but has acted out his objectives, has been orchestrating a campaign to drastically cut the federal workforce and budget.
—Jeanine Santucci, USA TODAY, 27 Feb. 2025
If a kid is acting out because he is being bullied, for example, the team might switch his lunch hour to separate him from the bully or help mediate a better relationship between the students.
—Aliyya Swaby, ProPublica, 8 Feb. 2025
Although no injuries have been reported, the company is acting out of caution to ensure consumer safety.
—Gordon G. Chang, Newsweek, 24 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for act out
Cite this Entry
“Act out.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/act%20out. Accessed 10 Mar. 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)
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