Act up and Act out

Related terms

Act up verb - To behave badly.

Usage example: the two-year-old was acting up in church so much that her dad had to take her outside

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Act out and act up are semantically related. in misbehave topic. In some cases you can use "Act out" instead a verb "Act up".

Act out verb - To behave badly.

Usage example: because his parents spent so much time with his chronically ill sister, the boy resorted to acting out in order to get attention

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Act up and act out are semantically related. You can use "Act up" instead a verb "Act out".

Cite this Source

Act out and Act up. (2016). Retrieved 2026, July 21, from https://thesaurus.plus/related/act_up/act_out

Act up & Act out. N.p., 2016. Web. 21 Jul. 2026. <https://thesaurus.plus/related/act_up/act_out>.

Act out or Act up. 2016. Accessed July 21, 2026. https://thesaurus.plus/related/act_up/act_out.

Google Ngram Viewer shows how "act up" and "act out" have occurred on timeline