1
2
as in show
a display of emotion or behavior that is insincere or intended to deceive
was putting on an act when she said she didn't mind being left out of the outing
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in law
a rule of conduct or action laid down by a governing authority and especially a legislature
the Americans with Disabilities Act requires public buildings to have wheelchair access
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in thing
something done by someone
it's acts such as this—lying about having to work late—that make me feel like I can't trust you
Synonyms & Similar Words
1
as in to play
to present a portrayal or performance of
a local student acted the part of Tiny Tim in our theater company's production of A Christmas Carol
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2
3
4
5
as in to pretend
to present a false appearance of
if you act confident long enough, you'll begin to actually feel it
Synonyms & Similar Words
6
as in to mock
to pretend to be (what one is not) in appearance or behavior
someone who is willing to act the helpless little thing when she wants attention
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of act
Mike Ryan, IndieWire, 22 Jan. 2025
The blazer-style jacket acts as a stylish layer over blouses, button-up shirts, sweaters, and more.
—Nicol Natale, People.com, 21 Jan. 2025
Tim Balk, New York Times, 23 Jan. 2025
The 52-year-old Spanish performer scored her first Oscar nomination on Thursday morning for Best Actress, and secured a place in history in the process as no other openly trans woman has been nominated in the category — or any other acting category — across the Academy Awards' 96-year history.
—EW.com, 23 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for act 
Noun
This is foreshadowed by a rip-roaring introduction that has the sounds of musical acts spanning generations bleeding into one another in a segment that Questlove says took almost a full year to complete.
—Mike Ryan, IndieWire, 22 Jan. 2025
The blazer-style jacket acts as a stylish layer over blouses, button-up shirts, sweaters, and more.
—Nicol Natale, People.com, 21 Jan. 2025
Verb
The agency’s acting director, Ronald L. Rowe, placed several agents on restricted duty.
—Tim Balk, New York Times, 23 Jan. 2025
The 52-year-old Spanish performer scored her first Oscar nomination on Thursday morning for Best Actress, and secured a place in history in the process as no other openly trans woman has been nominated in the category — or any other acting category — across the Academy Awards' 96-year history.
—EW.com, 23 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for act
Recent Examples of Synonyms for act
Noun
-
That in turn captured the attention of Don Nelson, who was coaching the Milwaukee Bucks at the time, and Red Holzman, the legendary New York Knicks coach.—
Marcus D. Smith,
Sacramento Bee,
18 Jan. 2025
-
This, in turn, means that Trump will be under steady pressure to solve the ongoing crisis during his first year at the White House.—
David Faris,
Newsweek,
18 Jan. 2025
Noun
-
The winner goes on to the Super Bowl on February 9. Who will perform in the Super Bowl Halftime show?—
Kristen Waggoner,
Newsweek,
22 Jan. 2025
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The site’s products and services include: the IMDb website for desktop and mobile devices; apps for iOS and Android; and X-Ray on Prime Video, which provides viewers additional information about movies and TV shows.—
Todd Spangler,
Variety,
21 Jan. 2025
Noun
-
After years of lobbying, President Ronald Reagan signed the bill into law on November 2, 1983.—
David Faris,
Newsweek,
19 Jan. 2025
-
By Alison Durkee In April, President Joe Biden signed a law that prohibits U.S. app stores from hosting TikTok unless its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, relinquishes ownership.—
Monica Mercuri,
Forbes,
19 Jan. 2025
Noun
-
Those are the kinds of things that make (Trenin) a difficult player to play against.—
Joe Smith,
The Athletic,
30 Jan. 2025
-
The actress and model, who received backlash for openly supporting Trump ahead of the presidential election, said things have quieted down now - proving the criticism was all worth it.—
Caroline Thayer,
Fox News,
29 Jan. 2025
Verb
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One of the greatest of all time to play the position, one of the greatest players of all time.—
Zack Rosenblatt,
The Athletic,
28 Jan. 2025
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Two years ago, the Eagles and the Chiefs faced off in Super Bowl LVII where Kansas City dramatically won on a field goal with eight seconds to play.—
Alexandra Banner,
CNN,
27 Jan. 2025
Verb
-
Despite them being one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference this season, New York still has some pieces to work with on the trade block.—
David Faris,
Newsweek,
19 Jan. 2025
-
Morgan Ortagus, nominated by Mr. Trump as a deputy special presidential envoy to the Middle East, worked as a network contributor for only two months in early 2019.—
Michael M. Grynbaum,
New York Times,
19 Jan. 2025
Verb
-
The mural shows what seems to be an artist's imagining of life in centuries past.—
Scott Simon,
NPR,
25 Jan. 2025
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Nothing seems as appealing as my soft and stretchy pajama bottoms — but maybe, just maybe, Scarlett Johansson’s mega-voluminous pants are the exception.—
Alyssa Grabinski,
People.com,
25 Jan. 2025
Verb
-
Trump, a major sports fan, was serving his first term when Los Angeles won the Games.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
18 Jan. 2025
-
Broadly, this is a system of price controls in which an average or minimum price across a group of countries with similar gross domestic output per capita can serve as an anchor towards which differing prices may converge over time.—
Joshua P. Cohen,
Forbes,
18 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near act
Cite this Entry
“Act.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/act. Accessed 1 Feb. 2025.
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