acting 1 of 3

Definition of actingnext
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

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noun

acting

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verb

present participle of act
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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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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
His first acting role was in Francis Ford Coppola’s The Godfather Part III (1990). Armando Tinoco, Deadline, 9 June 2026 Her most notable acting role was on The Bold and the Beautiful. Marina Watts, Entertainment Weekly, 9 June 2026
Noun
While Blanche has already been leading the department in an acting capacity, his confirmation could free him to pursue the administration’s agenda even more aggressively. Alanna Durkin Richer, Los Angeles Times, 8 Aug. 2026 And the blend of big acting, ambitious sets, and poignant plots helped this show become something truly transcendent. Chris Snellgrove, Entertainment Weekly, 7 Aug. 2026
Verb
Ted Lasso won seven awards, including acting awards for Sudeikis, Waddingham, and Goldstein, as well as the trophy for outstanding comedy series. Encyclopedia Britannica, 10 Aug. 2026 That work ethic was essential for her Season 3 arc, which found Williams facing some of the toughest acting challenges of her career. Maureen Lee Lenker, Los Angeles Times, 10 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for acting
Recent Examples of Synonyms for acting
Adjective
  • Ships would cross the strait without paying fees or tolls during the interim period.
    ABC News, ABC News, 9 Aug. 2026
  • In addition, the relevance of cell and animal studies depends on the dose, route of exposure, duration and how closely the study conditions reflect real-world use, said Mike Gruber, interim CEO for the Household & Commercial Products Association.
    Sandee LaMotte, CNN Money, 7 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • This starts with maintenance and includes brand-new interiors — everything from seats to sidewalls and inflight entertainment — to keep fliers happy.
    Maureen O'Hare, CNN Money, 8 Aug. 2026
  • His Marina del Rey company LaTerra Development recently completed a 575-unit complex along the 5 Freeway near the Burbank MetroLink station that caters to tenants in the entertainment industry.
    Roger Vincent, Los Angeles Times, 7 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • Bailey, for comparison, has a Fielding Run Value of +4 despite playing significantly more innings.
    Justice delos Santos, Mercury News, 12 Aug. 2026
  • Then again for a referee assessor on March 14, 2012, while South Korea was playing Qatar in another Olympic qualifier.
    Jessie Yeung, CNN Money, 12 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • Fernandes says the north side of the park is much better than the south side because his team is working section by section to bring change, noting that a safe park is critical to the well-being of the people who live in the area.
    Jeff Nguyen, CBS News, 14 Aug. 2026
  • For this fixture, Aaronson seems like the safer, reassuring, hard-working choice Farke will make.
    Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 14 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • For his part, Daemon is seeming pretty weary after Tumbleton and what happened to Rhaena.
    James Grebey, Vulture, 10 Aug. 2026
  • Jobs are down, but consumer sentiment—and the stock market—are up, leaving the retail sector to reckon with a host of seeming contradictions and confusing market signals.
    Kate Nishimura, Footwear News, 7 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • Designed for creators and professionals, this innovative hub integrates expanded connectivity with a customizable screen, serving as a clock, notification center, or personalized web dashboard for project data.
    Mark Sparrow, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026
  • The researchers even envision specialized pods serving as mobile medical facilities.
    Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 7 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • Feign came to mean inventing or pretending something that is not true.
    Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026
  • Something proved appealing about pretending to be someone else.
    Geoff Edgers, Washington Post, 7 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • He was criticized for outing LGBTQ+ stars who hadn’t revealed their sexuality publicly, and for bullying others by mocking their misfortune.
    Shirley Halperin, Rolling Stone, 6 Aug. 2026
  • British publications have fewer qualms, generally, about mocking the dead.
    Dan Piepenbring, Harpers Magazine, 4 Aug. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Acting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/acting. Accessed 15 Aug. 2026.

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