act up
Britishverb
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Misbehave. For example, With an inexperienced rider, this horse always acts up . [c. 1900]
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Malfunction, as in I'm not sure what's wrong with my car, but the transmission is acting up . In both usages up means “abnormally.”
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“With ‘Dead Man Walking,’ Sean was the first professional I saw act up close, the person I think I learned the most about acting from.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 20, 2023
In her four-star review Midgley suggested the show occasionally "feels scripted", noting the Furys know that "the cameras are on them and perhaps act up for them".
From BBC ● Aug. 18, 2023
First, people who dress up don’t act up.
From Seattle Times ● Jun. 19, 2023
When I was dating the woman who became my wife, her 13-year-old would act up.
From Washington Post ● Apr. 4, 2023
Her knees act up when the weather changes.
From "Wintergirls" by Laurie Halse Anderson
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
