n. 25B6; verb
the Government must act to remedy the situation : TAKE ACTION, take steps, take measures, move, react.
he was acting on the orders of the party leader : FOLLOW, act in accordance with, obey, heed, comply with; fulfil, meet, discharge.
an estate agent acting for a prospective buyer : REPRESENT, act on behalf of; stand in for, fill in for, deputize for, take the place of.
Alison began to act oddly : BEHAVE, conduct oneself, react; formal comport oneself.
the scents act as a powerful aphrodisiac : OPERATE, work, function, serve.
the drug acted directly on the blood vessels : AFFECT, have an effect on, work on; have an impact on, impact on, influence.
he acted in a highly successful film : PERFORM, play a part, take part, appear; informal tread the boards.
we laughed, but most of us were just acting : PRETEND, play-act, put it on, fake it, feign it, dissemble, dissimulate.
25B6; noun
acts of kindness 007C; a criminal act : DEED, action, feat, exploit, move, gesture, performance, undertaking, stunt, operation; achievement, accomplishment.
the act raised the tax on tobacco : LAW, decree, statute, bill, act of Parliament, enactment, resolution, edict, dictum, ruling, measure; N. Amer. formal ordinance.
the first act of the play : DIVISION, section, subsection, part, segment.
a music hall act : PERFORMANCE, turn, routine, number, sketch, skit.
it was all just an act : PRETENCE, show, front, facade, masquerade, charade, posture, pose, affectation, sham, fake; informal a put-on.
25A0; act up (informal)
all children act up from time to time : MISBEHAVE, behave badly, get up to mischief; Brit. informal play up.
the engine was acting up : MALFUNCTION, go wrong, be defective, be faulty; informal be on the blink; Brit. informal play up.