acted

past tense of act
1
2
as in worked
to produce a desired effect the painkiller acted surprisingly quickly

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

3
4
as in served
to have a certain purpose the tail feathers of woodpeckers act as props while the birds excavate tree trunks for insects

Synonyms & Similar Words

5
6
as in mocked
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 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 acted Appearing alongside Fry are Elfman, Beach, Jessica Sula, Maria Zhang and Luke Kleintank, the latter of whom also acted in Bones, though his time on that show did not overlap with Fry. — Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 8 Oct. 2026 Her breakdancing and pop-and-lock dancing background also played a role throughout the show, as her moves alongside her all-male dancing troupe acted as an additional instrument. — Joseph Hernandez, Kansas City Star, 7 Oct. 2026 These homes were originally used to house boats, and often acted as fishermen's living quarters in the winters. — Callie Thorpe, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 Oct. 2026 This piece of fashion history acted as a bookend, appearing again in the collection’s final look — honoring fashion’s matriarch from start to finish. — Fiona Sinclair Scott, CNN Money, 6 Oct. 2026 Kidman’s ensemble acted as a rather elevated iteration of her teenage daughter’s look. — Julia Teti, Footwear News, 6 Oct. 2026 Federal officials say the agent acted in self-defense after Good tried to ram him with her car, allegations her family's attorneys allege are false. — ABC News, 6 Oct. 2026 The Daily Telegraph previously reported that Mountbatten-Windsor had asked the court to determine whether Thames Valley Police acted lawfully in searching the former prince’s homes near Windsor Castle and on King Charles III’s Sandringham estate. — Danica Kirka, Los Angeles Times, 5 Oct. 2026 It is believed that the co-pilot likely acted alone, the source said. — Kat Lonsdorf, NPR, 5 Oct. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for acted
Verb
  • Those emotions certainly were appropriate following Miami’s closer-than-expected 15-10 loss in Minnesota on Sunday, a game in which the defense played valiantly and Ollie Gordon reached the 100-yard mark.
    — Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 5 Oct. 2026
  • The reporting on such matters is well-established, in the stories of Wall Street Journal journalist Jeff Horwitz (played here by Jeremy Allen White) and many others.
    — Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 5 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • According to court filings, Seaver previously worked for private military contractors and later provided security for Parton and her properties through his company, Squadron Augmented Protection Services (SAPS), which is also a party to the lawsuit.
    — Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Room for Disagreement Collins has opposed Trump on upwards of a half-dozen major initiatives and worked behind the scenes to temper him on multiple other occasions.
    — Burgess Everett, semafor.com, 6 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • On Wednesday, the evening before they were set to dock, the mood seemed far more jovial aboard the ship; sailors were chatting and laughing, some were running a 5K around a deck now free of aircraft.
    — Mosheh Gains, NBC news, 8 Oct. 2026
  • The path to closing the merger was often a rocky one and at times seemed likely to derail.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 7 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Fitzgerald and his wife Zelda are said to have attended at least a few of these parties, contributing to rumors that Lewis and the estate served as at least partial inspiration for the novel.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 8 Oct. 2026
  • El-Sayed, who trained as a doctor and served as Detroit’s top public health official, has campaigned on Medicare for All since his unsuccessful bid for governor in 2018.
    — Kate Wells, Miami Herald, 7 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Russian forces were in the area; some even pretended to be news crews.
    — David Folkenflik, NPR, 4 Oct. 2026
  • Also this year, Cohen’s press officer secretly was recorded by a woman who pretended to be on a date with him.
    — Dakota Smith, Los Angeles Times, 1 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • When the two teams met again, a handful of Bury supporters mocked fans using the disabled facilities.
    — Vanda Mayer, New Yorker, 6 Oct. 2026
  • VanAntwerp has been horrified to see Kirk’s killing mocked online, sometimes menacingly.
    — Jacqueline Ganun, Los Angeles Times, 4 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • The third, Surrender, is a massage performed in water, in which the buoyancy and warmth allow the body to completely relax and let go.
    — Robb Report Studio, Robb Report, 3 Oct. 2026
  • Risks vary with gestational age, a patient's medical history, the procedure performed and the circumstances of the pregnancy.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 3 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • In response to the renaming of the theater, a number of independent theaters across France symbolically operated under the banner of René Vautier on Friday, in a show of solidarity for the cinema and its staff.
    — Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 2 Oct. 2026
  • The company has operated a Green Apron Creator Program, paying baristas to create social media content during dedicated shifts.
    — Alexa LoMonaco, CNBC, 2 Oct. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Acted.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/acted. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

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