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
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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
Chet Hanks — the son of Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson who has become something of an internet personality over the years — has landed his biggest acting role to date in Running Point, the new Netflix series starring Kate Hudson. Kirsten Chuba, The Hollywood Reporter, 14 Feb. 2025 Brenda Robinson has been named acting president of Film Independent, while board vice chair Eric d’Arbeloff will fill her role as acting board chair. Katcy Stephan, Variety, 7 Feb. 2025
Noun
Little Miss Guided: Dylan Efron teases reunion, reveals Zac's reaction to acting dissNeed a break? Kimi Robinson, USA TODAY, 7 Mar. 2025 Having my three-decade acting career acknowledged is deeply meaningful and inspires me to keep going. Sara Merican, Deadline, 5 Mar. 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
  • The club’s former women’s team’s head coach Cushing has returned as interim for the rest of the season with a primary target of qualifying for the Champions League.
    Charlotte Harpur, The Athletic, 16 Mar. 2025
  • Under interim coach Jeff Ulbrich, the Jets were 28th in points (26.6) and 18th in yards allowed per game (337.9).
    Antwan Staley, New York Daily News, 16 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • 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
  • Further factions emerge from there, as people start playing the game within the Squid Game, forming pockets of friendships and alliances, real and fake.
    Ben Travers, IndieWire, 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
  • And the architect also helped create a tasting and entertainment space at Napa’s Frank Family Vineyards.
    Tori Latham, Robb Report, 17 Mar. 2025
  • His vision and guidance were key to building our foundation and broadening our business to offer clients world-class capabilities across filmed entertainment, music, sports, the creator economy, and advisory services.
    Katcy Stephan, Variety, 17 Mar. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Acting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/acting. Accessed 22 Mar. 2025.

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