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)
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
The Police Department contends the gunman acted out of fear and self-defense, the statement says, which led him to pull the trigger.
—
Bianca Moreno-Paz, Austin American-Statesman, 22 Nov. 2024
The Selzer poll has been viewed as evidence that pollsters calling the race a dead heat have been acting out of a desire to seek safety in numbers following the shock 2016 election result that failed to spot latent support for Trump.
—Christiaan Hetzner, Fortune, 5 Nov. 2024
The trial ended with two deadlocked juries, unable to agree on whether the brothers were guilty of murder or acted out of fear.
—Gordon G. Chang, Newsweek, 31 Oct. 2024
Letting your emotions rule and acting out of instinct will tempt you when patience is required to avoid a costly mistake.
—Eugenia Last, The Mercury News, 30 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for act out 
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Bianca Moreno-Paz, Austin American-Statesman, 22 Nov. 2024
The Selzer poll has been viewed as evidence that pollsters calling the race a dead heat have been acting out of a desire to seek safety in numbers following the shock 2016 election result that failed to spot latent support for Trump.
—Christiaan Hetzner, Fortune, 5 Nov. 2024
The trial ended with two deadlocked juries, unable to agree on whether the brothers were guilty of murder or acted out of fear.
—Gordon G. Chang, Newsweek, 31 Oct. 2024
Letting your emotions rule and acting out of instinct will tempt you when patience is required to avoid a costly mistake.
—Eugenia Last, The Mercury News, 30 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for act out
Dictionary Entries Near act out
Cite this Entry
“Act out.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/act%20out. Accessed 1 Dec. 2024.
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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