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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in theatre
Synonyms & Similar Words
1
as in playing
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in working
to produce a desired effect
the painkiller acted surprisingly quickly
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in seeming
to give the impression of being
always acting helpless, just to get attention
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
as in pretending
to present a false appearance of
if you act confident long enough, you'll begin to actually feel it
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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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of acting
Lexy Perez, The Hollywood Reporter, 15 Sep. 2024
The acting Emmy that had long eluded the show was well-deserved, as many critics praised Foster for her three-dimensional take on a character that had little in common with the kinds of TV cops viewers were used to seeing.
—Vincent Perella, IndieWire, 15 Sep. 2024
Anne Victoria Clark, Vulture, 23 Oct. 2024
Their long careers in acting have taught them this lesson repeatedly.
—Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 4 Nov. 2024
Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 4 Oct. 2024
The support of those around her is what led her into acting, what facilitated her pursuit of it, and what’s helped keep her there ever since.
—Alanna Bennett, Glamour, 3 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for acting 
Adjective
Cox was notably the first openly transgender person to be nominated for an acting Emmy for Orange is the New Black at the time.
—Lexy Perez, The Hollywood Reporter, 15 Sep. 2024
The acting Emmy that had long eluded the show was well-deserved, as many critics praised Foster for her three-dimensional take on a character that had little in common with the kinds of TV cops viewers were used to seeing.
—Vincent Perella, IndieWire, 15 Sep. 2024
Noun
Winkler will offer what he’s learned in his 50 years of practicing the craft of acting, sign copies of his book Being Henry, and imbue you with the insights gained in his long career as a producer, director, and proud SAG-AFTRA member.
—Anne Victoria Clark, Vulture, 23 Oct. 2024
Their long careers in acting have taught them this lesson repeatedly.
—Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 4 Nov. 2024
Verb
The film is about three students (led by Pierce in an acting role) who make a bet with their evil principal to succeed in business.
—Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 4 Oct. 2024
The support of those around her is what led her into acting, what facilitated her pursuit of it, and what’s helped keep her there ever since.
—Alanna Bennett, Glamour, 3 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for acting
Recent Examples of Synonyms for acting
Adjective
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For the interim process in May, Craig said, the board only spent 10 minutes with Murphy.Madeline Mitchell, The Enquirer, 22 Nov. 2024
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In October 2021 Yan picked up the interim bantamweight title with a decision win over Cory Sandhagen.Trent Reinsmith, Forbes, 20 Nov. 2024
Verb
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According to Hayes & The Heathens, the group began developing the concept of a festival after playing in the small Texas town together, known for its country music scene, back in October 2023.Charlotte Phillipp, People.com, 4 Oct. 2024
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But despite dolphins’ playful reputation, their facial expressions during play had never been investigated before, though studies have established that other mammals, like humans and monkeys, communicate with open-mouthed, smile-like expressions when playing.Issy Ronald, CNN, 4 Oct. 2024
Verb
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Albeit the shift to default maximum protections has triggered the current Epic Games lawsuit, which claims Samsung and Google are working together to make third-party app installs overly difficult.Zak Doffman, Forbes, 4 Oct. 2024
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Women’s participation in the workforce is suffering from high child care costs, as many mothers are working fewer hours—or none at all—to stay home and take care of their families.Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 4 Oct. 2024
Verb
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Donnelly’s particular strength is in seeming at once vulnerable and absolutely terrifying, while speaking a mile a minute; in the play’s best scenes, Butterworth pushes Veronica’s tempo to its maximum.Helen Shaw, The New Yorker, 3 Oct. 2024
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This scene stands out for the anguish that Phillips puts into it, and that stands out in another regard, too—its seeming detachment from the action that precedes it and follows it.Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 3 Oct. 2024
Verb
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Just before serving, gently stir in the ginger beer to keep the mixture fizzy.Jillian Dara, Forbes, 4 Oct. 2024
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Just before serving, stir in the sparkling water for a refreshing fizz then pour into glasses over ice and garnish with lemon slices, fresh mint and/or rosemary sprigs.Jillian Dara, Forbes, 4 Oct. 2024
Verb
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The power of a smile Dolphins love to play around, doing things like flipping, surfing, playing with stuff, chasing each other, and pretending to fight.Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 3 Oct. 2024
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Those of us working from home were suddenly spending a lot of time pretending to listen in meetings or during FaceTime catch-ups with homebound friends, examining our facial features in the camera instead.Katie Way, SELF, 30 Sep. 2024
Verb
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South Park also piled on by mocking her in a recent episode.James Hibberd, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Oct. 2024
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Nasrallah posed as a kind of Che Guevara of the Arab world—mocking his enemies, living mostly underground.Dexter Filkins, The New Yorker, 2 Oct. 2024
Noun
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This decline is attributed to lower revenues from entertainment offerings and food, beverage, and merchandise sales.Quartz Bot, Quartz, 8 Nov. 2024
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This is a show with a major Hollywood star in Colin Farrell and, more importantly, a major entertainment brand in DC comics, the success of which is quite important to David Zaslav and Warner Bros.Joe Reid, Vulture, 8 Nov. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near acting
Cite this Entry
“Acting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/acting. Accessed 25 Nov. 2024.
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