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| 1. |
act - something that people do or cause to happen |
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deed |
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event something that happens at a given place and time
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action something done (usually as opposed to something said); "there were stories of murders and other unnatural actions"
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acquiring,
getting the act of acquiring something; "I envied his talent for acquiring"; "he's much more interested in the getting than in the giving"
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causation,
causing the act of causing something to happen
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delivery,
obstetrical delivery the act of delivering a child
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departure,
going,
going away,
leaving the act of departing
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discovery,
find,
uncovering the act of discovering something
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disposal,
disposition the act or means of getting rid of something
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effectuation,
implementation the act of implementing (providing a practical means for accomplishing something); carrying into effect
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egress,
egression,
emergence the act of coming (or going) out; becoming apparent
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equalisation,
equalization,
leveling the act of making equal or uniform
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digging up,
disinterment,
exhumation the act of digging something out of the ground (especially a corpse) where it has been buried
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mitsvah,
mitzvah (Judaism) a good deed performed out of religious duty
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actuation,
propulsion the act of propelling
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recovery,
retrieval the act of regaining or saving something lost (or in danger of becoming lost)
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running away the act of leaving (without permission) the place you are expected to be
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touch,
touching the act of putting two things together with no space between them; "at his touch the room filled with lights"
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nonaccomplishment,
nonachievement an act that does not achieve its intended goal
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leaning the act of deviating from a vertical position
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motivating,
motivation the psychological feature that arouses an organism to action toward a desired goal; the reason for the action; that which gives purpose and direction to behavior; "we did not understand his motivation"; "he acted with the best of motives"
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assumption the act of taking possession of or power over something; "his assumption of office coincided with the trouble in Cuba"; "the Nazi assumption of power in 1934"; "he acquired all the company's assets for ten million dollars and the assumption of the company's debts"
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rejection the act of rejecting something; "his proposals were met with rejection"
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forfeit,
forfeiture,
sacrifice the act of losing or surrendering something as a penalty for a mistake or fault or failure to perform etc.
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derivation the act of deriving something or obtaining something from a source or origin
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activity any specific behavior; "they avoided all recreational activity"
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hire the act of hiring something or someone; "he signed up for a week's car hire"
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wear,
wearing the act of having on your person as a covering or adornment; "she bought it for everyday wear"
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assessment,
judgement,
judgment the market value set on assets
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production (law) the act of exhibiting in a court of law; "the appellate court demanded the production of all documents"
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stay continuing or remaining in a place or state; "they had a nice stay in Paris"; "a lengthy hospital stay"; "a four-month stay in bankruptcy court"
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abidance,
residence,
residency the act of abiding (enduring without yielding)
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inactivity being inactive; being less active
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hinderance,
hindrance,
interference the act of hindering or obstructing or impeding
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stop,
stoppage a brief stay in the course of a journey; "they made a stopover to visit their friends"
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group action action taken by a group of people
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distribution the act of distributing or spreading or apportioning
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legitimation the act of rendering a person legitimate; "he has filial rights because he obtained letters of legitimation from the king"; "his parents' subsequent marriage resulted in his legitimation"
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permissive waste,
waste useless or profitless activity; using or expending or consuming thoughtlessly or carelessly; "if the effort brings no compensating gain it is a waste"; "mindless dissipation of natural resources"
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proclamation,
promulgation the formal act of proclaiming; giving public notice; "his promulgation of the policy proved to be premature"
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communicating,
communication something that is communicated by or to or between people or groups
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speech act the use of language to perform some act
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| 2. |
act - a legal document codifying the result of deliberations of a committee or society or legislative body |
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enactment |
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instrument,
legal document,
legal instrument,
official document the means whereby some act is accomplished; "my greed was the instrument of my destruction"; "science has given us new tools to fight disease"
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jurisprudence,
law the branch of philosophy concerned with the law and the principles that lead courts to make the decisions they do
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nullity something that is null (especially an enactment that has no legal validity)
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decree,
edict,
fiat,
order,
rescript a legally binding command or decision entered on the court record (as if issued by a court or judge); "a friend in New Mexico said that the order caused no trouble out there"
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legislative act,
statute an act passed by a legislative body
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| 3. |
act - a short theatrical performance that is part of a longer program; "he did his act three times every evening"; "she had a catchy little routine"; "it was one of the best numbers he ever did" |
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routine,
number,
turn,
bit |
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performance,
public presentation any recognized accomplishment; "they admired his performance under stress"; "when Roger Maris powered four home runs in one game his performance merits awe"
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show-stopper,
showstopper,
stopper something that is strikingly attractive or has great popular appeal; "she has a show-stopper of a smile"; "the brilliant orange flowers against the green foliage were a showstopper"
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| 4. |
act - a subdivision of a play or opera or ballet |
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dramatic composition,
dramatic work a play for performance on the stage or television or in a movie etc.
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drama,
dramatic play,
play the quality of being arresting or highly emotional
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opera a building where musical dramas are performed
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ballet,
concert dance a theatrical representation of a story that is performed to music by trained dancers
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scene graphic art consisting of the graphic or photographic representation of a visual percept; "he painted scenes from everyday life"; "figure 2 shows photographic and schematic views of the equipment"
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act - a manifestation of insincerity; "he put on quite an act for her benefit" |
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expression,
manifestation,
reflection,
reflexion the act of forcing something out by squeezing or pressing; "the expression of milk from her breast"
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| verb |
| 1. |
act - perform an action, or work out or perform (an action); "think before you act"; "We must move quickly"; "The governor should act on the new energy bill"; "The nanny acted quickly by grabbing the toddler and covering him with a wet towel" |
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move |
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forbear,
refrain refrain from doing; "she forbore a snicker"
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act on,
follow up on,
pursue regulate one's behavior in accordance with certain information, ideas, or advice; "The Founding Fathers acted on certain moral principles"
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act up,
carry on make itself felt as a recurring pain; "My arthritis is acting up again"
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act upon,
influence,
work have and exert influence or effect; "The artist's work influenced the young painter"; "She worked on her friends to support the political candidate"
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alternate,
take turns do something in turns; "We take turns on the night shift"
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end up,
fetch up,
finish,
finish up,
land up,
wind up cause to finish a relationship with somebody; "That finished me with Mary"
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festinate,
hasten,
hurry,
look sharp,
rush urge to an unnatural speed; "Don't rush me, please!"
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disturb,
interrupt damage as if by shaking or jarring; "Don't disturb the patient's wounds by moving him too rapidly!"
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react,
respond undergo a chemical reaction; react with another substance under certain conditions; "The hydrogen and the oxygen react"
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go ahead,
plow ahead proceed (with a plan of action); "He went ahead with the project"
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aggress,
attack begin to injure; "The cancer cells are attacking his liver"; "Rust is attacking the metal"
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force impose urgently, importunately, or inexorably; "She forced her diet fads on him"
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create create by artistic means; "create a poem"; "Schoenberg created twelve-tone music"; "Picasso created Cubism"; "Auden made verses"
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come forward,
come out,
come to the fore,
step forward,
step to the fore,
step up come off; "His hair and teeth fell out"
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pay back,
repay,
reward take vengeance on or get even; "We'll get them!"; "That'll fix him good!"; "This time I got him"
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satisfice,
satisfise decide on and pursue a course of action satisfying the minimum requirements to achieve a goal; "optimization requires processes that are more complex than those needed to merely satisfice"
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maneuver,
manoeuver,
manoeuvre act in order to achieve a certain goal; "He maneuvered to get the chairmanship"; "She maneuvered herself into the directorship"
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dispatch kill without delay; "the traitor was dispatched by the conspirators"
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evade use cunning or deceit to escape or avoid; "The con man always evades"
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race compete in a race; "he is running the Marathon this year"; "let's race and see who gets there first"
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use use up, consume fully; "The legislature expended its time on school questions"
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play it by ear decide on one's actions as one goes along, depending on the situation; "She didn't know what to expect from her new job, so she played it by ear"
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play engage in an activity as if it were a game rather than take it seriously; "They played games on their opponents"; "play the stock market"; "play with her feelings"; "toy with an idea"
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deal do business; offer for sale as for one's livelihood; "She deals in gold"; "The brothers sell shoes"
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partner provide with a partner
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exert put to use; "exert one's power or influence"
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egotrip act in a way that attracts attention; "This teacher always egotrips and the students don't like him"
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reciprocate alternate the direction of motion of; "the engine reciprocates the propeller"
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go,
move,
proceed be abolished or discarded; "These ugly billboards have to go!"; "These luxuries all had to go under the Khmer Rouge"
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come close nearly do something; "She came close to quitting her job"
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perform carry out or perform an action; "John did the painting, the weeding, and he cleaned out the gutters"; "the skater executed a triple pirouette"; "she did a little dance"
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dare,
make bold,
presume to be courageous enough to try or do something; "I don't dare call him", "she dares to dress differently from the others"
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engage,
prosecute,
pursue get caught; "make sure the gear is engaged"
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act on regulate one's behavior in accordance with certain information, ideas, or advice; "The Founding Fathers acted on certain moral principles"
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interact act together or towards others or with others; "He should interact more with his colleagues"
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oppose,
react be against; express opposition to; "We oppose the ban on abortion"
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take time by the forelock act quickly and decisively; not let slip an opportunity
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coact act together, as of organisms
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offer,
volunteer put forward for consideration; "He offered his opinion"
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get around to do something despite obstacles such as lack of time; "He finally got around to painting the windows"
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dally,
flirt,
play,
toy consider not very seriously; "He is trifling with her"; "She plays with the thought of moving to Tasmania"
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approach,
go about,
set about make advances to someone, usually with a proposal or suggestion; "I was approached by the President to serve as his adviser in foreign matters"
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participate,
take part share in something
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misbehave,
misconduct,
misdemean behave badly; "The children misbehaved all morning"
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condescend,
lower oneself,
stoop debase oneself morally, act in an undignified, unworthy, or dishonorable way; "I won't stoop to reading other people's mail"
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acquit,
bear,
behave,
carry,
comport,
conduct,
deport pronounce not guilty of criminal charges; "The suspect was cleared of the murder charges"
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behave,
comport behave in a certain manner; "She carried herself well"; "he bore himself with dignity"; "They conducted themselves well during these difficult times"
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assay,
attempt,
essay,
seek,
try analyze (chemical substances)
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court,
romance,
solicit,
woo engage in social activities leading to marriage; "We were courting for over ten years"
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court engage in social activities leading to marriage; "We were courting for over ten years"
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dare to be courageous enough to try or do something; "I don't dare call him", "she dares to dress differently from the others"
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effect produce; "The scientists set up a shock wave"
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antagonise,
antagonize,
counteract provoke the hostility of; "Don't antagonize your boss"
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anticipate,
counter,
foresee,
forestall be a forerunner of or occur earlier than; "This composition anticipates Impressionism"
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prosecute carry out or participate in an activity; be involved in; "She pursued many activities"; "They engaged in a discussion"
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commit,
perpetrate,
pull cause to be admitted; of persons to an institution; "After the second episode, she had to be committed"; "he was committed to prison"
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rampage act violently, recklessly, or destructively
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contend,
cope,
deal,
get by,
grapple,
make do,
make out,
manage maintain or assert; "He contended that Communism had no future"
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condescend,
deign,
descend debase oneself morally, act in an undignified, unworthy, or dishonorable way; "I won't stoop to reading other people's mail"
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condescend debase oneself morally, act in an undignified, unworthy, or dishonorable way; "I won't stoop to reading other people's mail"
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take care be in charge of or deal with; "She takes care of all the necessary arrangements"
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act superior,
lord it over,
put on airs,
queen it over act like the master of; "He is lording it over the students"
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stampede run away in a stampede
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make a point,
make sure make a point of doing something; act purposefully and intentionally
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repeat,
take over to say again or imitate; "followers echoing the cries of their leaders"
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surprise cause to be surprised; "The news really surprised me"
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sneak to go stealthily or furtively; "..stead of sneaking around spying on the neighbor's house"
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play engage in an activity as if it were a game rather than take it seriously; "They played games on their opponents"; "play the stock market"; "play with her feelings"; "toy with an idea"
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take ascertain or determine by measuring, computing or take a reading from a dial; "take a pulse"; "A reading was taken of the earth's tremors"
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guard watch over or shield from danger or harm; protect; "guard my possessions while I'm away"
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begin,
start set in motion, cause to start; "The U.S. started a war in the Middle East"; "The Iraqis began hostilities"; "begin a new chapter in your life"
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go off at half-cock,
go off half-cocked act prematurely or without reflection or too soon; "she wanted to quit her job but her mother told her not to go off half-cocked"
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hold back,
hold off,
wait resist and fight to a standoff; "Dallas had enough of a lead to hold the Broncos off"
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continue,
go along,
go on,
keep,
proceed exist over a prolonged period of time; "The bad weather continued for two more weeks"
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do well,
had best act in one's own or everybody's best interest; "You will do well to arrive on time tomorrow!"
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continue exist over a prolonged period of time; "The bad weather continued for two more weeks"
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continue,
persist in exist over a prolonged period of time; "The bad weather continued for two more weeks"
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| 2. |
act - behave in a certain manner; show a certain behavior; conduct or comport oneself; "You should act like an adult"; "Don't behave like a fool"; "What makes her do this way?"; "The dog acts ferocious, but he is really afraid of people" |
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behave |
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act,
act as,
play behave in a certain manner; show a certain behavior; conduct or comport oneself; "You should act like an adult"; "Don't behave like a fool"; "What makes her do this way?"; "The dog acts ferocious, but he is really afraid of people"
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act up make itself felt as a recurring pain; "My arthritis is acting up again"
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act involuntarily,
act reflexively act in an uncontrolled manner
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bend over backwards,
fall over backwards try very hard to please someone; "She falls over backwards when she sees her mother-in-law"
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presume take liberties or act with too much confidence
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vulgarise,
vulgarize debase and make vulgar; "The Press has vulgarized Love and Marriage"
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optimise,
optimize act as an optimist and take a sunny view of the world
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quack act as a medical quack or a charlatan
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menace act in a threatening manner; "A menacing person"
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make act in a certain way so as to acquire; "make friends"; "make enemies"
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bluster,
swagger,
swash blow hard; be gusty, as of wind; "A southeaster blustered onshore"; "The flames blustered"
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freeze suddenly behave coldly and formally; "She froze when she saw her ex-husband"
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wanton behave extremely cruelly and brutally
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romanticize act in a romantic way
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sentimentalise,
sentimentalize,
sentimentise,
sentimentize act in a sentimental way or indulge in sentimental thoughts or expression
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bungle spoil by behaving clumsily or foolishly; "I bungled it!"
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play,
toy engage in an activity as if it were a game rather than take it seriously; "They played games on their opponents"; "play the stock market"; "play with her feelings"; "toy with an idea"
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act,
act as,
play behave in a certain manner; show a certain behavior; conduct or comport oneself; "You should act like an adult"; "Don't behave like a fool"; "What makes her do this way?"; "The dog acts ferocious, but he is really afraid of people"
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stooge act as a stooge, in a compliant or subordinate manner; "He stooged for the flamboyant Senator"
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jest,
joke act in a funny or teasing way
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piffle act in a trivial or ineffective way
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make act in a certain way so as to acquire; "make friends"; "make enemies"
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make as if begin or appear to begin an action; "He made as if to shake my hand"
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act,
dissemble,
pretend behave in a certain manner; show a certain behavior; conduct or comport oneself; "You should act like an adult"; "Don't behave like a fool"; "What makes her do this way?"; "The dog acts ferocious, but he is really afraid of people"
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break down,
lose it,
snap collapse due to fatigue, an illness, or a sudden attack
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dally,
dawdle consider not very seriously; "He is trifling with her"; "She plays with the thought of moving to Tasmania"
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backslap display excessive cordiality (towards); "he is always backslapping his colleagues at staff meetings"
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hugger mugger act stealthily or secretively
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sauce add zest or flavor to, make more interesting; "sauce the roast"
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footle act foolishly, as by talking nonsense
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frivol,
trifle act frivolously
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puff up,
swell make larger or distend; "The estimates were puffed up"
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follow behave in accordance or in agreement with; "Follow a pattern"; "Follow my example"
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loosen up,
relax cause to feel relaxed; "A hot bath always relaxes me"
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rage,
ramp,
storm feel intense anger; "Rage against the dying of the light!"
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| 3. |
act - play a role or part; "Gielgud played Hamlet"; "She wants to act Lady Macbeth, but she is too young for the role"; "She played the servant to her husband's master" |
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play,
represent |
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act,
act as,
play behave in a certain manner; show a certain behavior; conduct or comport oneself; "You should act like an adult"; "Don't behave like a fool"; "What makes her do this way?"; "The dog acts ferocious, but he is really afraid of people"
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play engage in an activity as if it were a game rather than take it seriously; "They played games on their opponents"; "play the stock market"; "play with her feelings"; "toy with an idea"
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act,
play,
playact,
roleplay behave in a certain manner; show a certain behavior; conduct or comport oneself; "You should act like an adult"; "Don't behave like a fool"; "What makes her do this way?"; "The dog acts ferocious, but he is really afraid of people"
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re-create form anew in the imagination; recollect and re-form in the mind; "His mind re-creates the entire world"
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performing arts arts or skills that require public performance
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make,
make believe,
pretend act in a certain way so as to acquire; "make friends"; "make enemies"
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support play a subordinate role to (another performer); "Olivier supported Gielgud beautifully in the second act"
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act out,
enact,
reenact represent an incident, state, or emotion by action, especially on stage; "She could act neurotic anxiety"
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act out represent an incident, state, or emotion by action, especially on stage; "She could act neurotic anxiety"
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impersonate,
portray represent another person with comic intentions
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parody make a spoof of or make fun of
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emote give expression or emotion to, in a stage or movie role
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| 4. |
act - perform on a stage or theater; "She acts in this play"; "He acted in `Julius Caesar'"; "I played in `A Christmas Carol'" |
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play,
roleplay,
playact |
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play engage in an activity as if it were a game rather than take it seriously; "They played games on their opponents"; "play the stock market"; "play with her feelings"; "toy with an idea"
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play engage in an activity as if it were a game rather than take it seriously; "They played games on their opponents"; "play the stock market"; "play with her feelings"; "toy with an idea"
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perform carry out or perform an action; "John did the painting, the weeding, and he cleaned out the gutters"; "the skater executed a triple pirouette"; "she did a little dance"
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dramatics,
dramatic art,
dramaturgy,
theater,
theatre participation in theatrical productions as an extracurricular activity
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stooge act as a stooge, in a compliant or subordinate manner; "He stooged for the flamboyant Senator"
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mime,
pantomime act out without words but with gestures and bodily movements only; "The acting students mimed eating an apple"
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ham,
ham it up,
overact,
overplay exaggerate one's acting
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underact,
underplay act (a role) with great restraint
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act behave in a certain manner; show a certain behavior; conduct or comport oneself; "You should act like an adult"; "Don't behave like a fool"; "What makes her do this way?"; "The dog acts ferocious, but he is really afraid of people"
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| 5. |
act - be suitable for theatrical performance; "This scene acts well" |
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act,
play,
playact,
roleplay behave in a certain manner; show a certain behavior; conduct or comport oneself; "You should act like an adult"; "Don't behave like a fool"; "What makes her do this way?"; "The dog acts ferocious, but he is really afraid of people"
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be spend or use time; "I may be an hour"
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| 6. |
act - pretend to have certain qualities or state of mind; "He acted the idiot"; "She plays deaf when the news are bad" |
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play |
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act,
behave,
do behave in a certain manner; show a certain behavior; conduct or comport oneself; "You should act like an adult"; "Don't behave like a fool"; "What makes her do this way?"; "The dog acts ferocious, but he is really afraid of people"
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| 7. |
act - discharge one's duties; "She acts as the chair"; "In what capacity are you acting?" |
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serve put the ball into play; "It was Agassi's turn to serve"
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criticise,
criticize act as a critic; "Those who criticize others often are not perfect, either"
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bank cover with ashes so to control the rate of burning; "bank a fire"
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| 8. |
act - be engaged in an activity, often for no particular purpose other than pleasure |
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play engage in an activity as if it were a game rather than take it seriously; "They played games on their opponents"; "play the stock market"; "play with her feelings"; "toy with an idea"
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drive around drive someone in a vehicle
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walk around walk randomly; "We were walking around in the neighborhood to see whether we could find an open drugstore"
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