acting 1 of 3

as in interim
serving in a position for the time being will serve as acting president of the university until a permanent replacement can be found

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

acting

2 of 3

noun

acting

3 of 3

verb

present participle of act
1
2
3
4
as in serving
to have a certain purpose the tail feathers of woodpeckers act as props while the birds excavate tree trunks for insects

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5
6
as in mocking
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

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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
Adjective
Secretary of State Marco Rubio has been made acting administrator of USAID, multiple sources tell ABC News. Amanda Castro, Newsweek, 3 Feb. 2025 Duhamel's first acting role was charming con artist Leo du Pres on the ABC daytime soap All My Children (1999–2002), which landed him a Daytime Emmy. Danny Horn, EW.com, 2 Feb. 2025
Noun
Otherwise, the acting prizes at BAFTA for Brody, A Real Pain’s Kieran Culkin and Emilia Perez‘s Zoe Saldaña add to their momentum heading into SAG. Pete Hammond, Deadline, 16 Feb. 2025 Big and shockingly nimble, former high school athlete Belushi relished in physicality while displaying subtler acting chops when given the opportunity. Dennis Perkins, EW.com, 16 Feb. 2025
Verb
Fed regulators presuming the imposition of broad capital requirements are acting in as conceited a fashion as FOMC members setting a rate of interest. John Tamny, Forbes, 31 Dec. 2024 Those officials could be then tapped for acting positions. Melissa Quinn, CBS News, 31 Dec. 2024 See All Example Sentences for acting
Recent Examples of Synonyms for acting
Adjective
  • Organizations need interim leadership strategies and interim leaders need clear mandates to maintain momentum during these transitions.
    Marius Ivanauskas, Forbes, 20 Feb. 2025
  • Hermoso and her teammates refused to play as long as Rubiales was in charge and returned to the team only weeks later when the government mediated an agreement with the federation interim president to overhaul its protocols and give more support to its women’s side.
    ASSOCIATED PRESS, TIME, 20 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • Then something strange happened — the Falcons started playing like one of the best defenses in the league.
    Josh Kendall, The Athletic, 26 Dec. 2024
  • Deion Sanders began his NFL career with the Falcons in 1989, also playing baseball for the New York Yankees and Atlanta Braves well into the 1990s.
    Dan Pompei, The Athletic, 26 Dec. 2024
Verb
  • Or pushing through with friendships that aren’t really working anymore, and maybe never did.
    Daisy Jones, Vogue, 27 Dec. 2024
  • There have been many examples of that from our first edition up until today with global producers and DJs working with top headliners from Saudi, Egypt, Lebanon and rest of the Arab world.
    Nick Vivarelli, Variety, 27 Dec. 2024
Verb
  • Step one is converting a Mayfair to their side, with Moira seeming like the easiest target.
    Andy Swift, TVLine, 5 Jan. 2025
  • Despite the seeming doom and gloom, many institutions are stepping up to the plate in the face of these challenges, creating more accessible pathways to higher education.
    Susan R. Burns, New York Daily News, 30 Dec. 2024
Verb
  • The school's kitchen and cafeteria are congested with long serving lines, according to the district's website.
    Alec Johnson, Journal Sentinel, 31 Dec. 2024
  • Shanghai remains the hub for the new model, with the city serving as the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China's center of production, as well as the base for its research and development departments.
    George Monastiriakos, Newsweek, 31 Dec. 2024
Verb
  • While maintaining a quirky and mysterious air, the show yields questions like, is a cult real if its creators are pretending but its followers aren’t?
    Ars Technica, Ars Technica, 24 Dec. 2024
  • June Squibb plays the titular Thelma, who gets taken in by a phone scammer pretending to be her grandson Danny (Fred Hechinger) to the tune of $10,000.
    Ars Technica, Ars Technica, 23 Dec. 2024
Verb
  • Quad’s grievances spill over into her relationship with Heavenly, which ties into Heavenly and Quad mocking Sweet Tea on social media.
    Shelby Stewart, Essence, 23 Dec. 2024
  • Naturally, the Internet lost its mind, and the scene quickly went viral, with viewers mocking and/or sharing their disbelief at Sheridan's dialogue.
    Kristen Baldwin, EW.com, 19 Dec. 2024
Noun
  • Black, a former New York prosecutor, moves from East to West to become an entertainment lawyer.
    Amaris Encinas, USA TODAY, 22 Feb. 2025
  • Thanks to land granted by Clark County, the precinct will empower the entertainment professionals, hospitality workers and first responders serving the tourist town, plus inspire and educate future stars of The Strip.
    Leena Tailor, The Hollywood Reporter, 21 Feb. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Acting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/acting. Accessed 3 Mar. 2025.

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