act out
verb
acted out; acting out; acts out
1
a
: to represent in action
children act out what they read
b
: to translate into action
unwilling to act out their beliefs
2
: to express (something, such as an impulse or a fantasy) directly in overt behavior without modification to comply with social norms
: to behave badly or in a socially unacceptable often self-defeating manner especially as a means of venting painful emotions (such as fear or frustration)
Synonyms of act out
Examples of act out in a Sentence
because his parents spent so much time with his chronically ill sister, the boy resorted to acting out in order to get attention
Recent Examples on the Web
Reports from those calls reveal a spectrum of youth behaviors, from hallway bullying to acting out because of problems at home.
—
Natalie Eilbert, jsonline.com, 19 Mar. 2026
With the games dripping out, one at a time, the entire planet is focused on a single match while it is being played, all the eyes of the world resting on twenty-two elite athletes acting out a sporting telenovela, living making decisions without a script, under conditions of hysterical pressure.
—Jeffrey Pierre, NPR, 17 Mar. 2026
But if O’Brien does decide to walk away after this year, acting out his demise with his mentor, Downey, seems like an apt way to go out.
—Tom Smyth, Vulture, 16 Mar. 2026
The still-living members of the Clyburn family act out their heartbreak in a variety of ways.
—Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 13 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for act out
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Natalie Eilbert, jsonline.com, 19 Mar. 2026
With the games dripping out, one at a time, the entire planet is focused on a single match while it is being played, all the eyes of the world resting on twenty-two elite athletes acting out a sporting telenovela, living making decisions without a script, under conditions of hysterical pressure.
—Jeffrey Pierre, NPR, 17 Mar. 2026
But if O’Brien does decide to walk away after this year, acting out his demise with his mentor, Downey, seems like an apt way to go out.
—Tom Smyth, Vulture, 16 Mar. 2026
The still-living members of the Clyburn family act out their heartbreak in a variety of ways.
—Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 13 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for act out
Cite this Entry
“Act out.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/act%20out. Accessed 27 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
act out
transitive verb
: to express (as an impulse or a fantasy) directly in overt behavior without modification to comply with social norms
act out an adolescent fantasy
: to behave badly or in a socially unacceptable often self-defeating manner especially as a means of venting painful emotions (as fear or frustration)
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