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[v] pretend to have certain qualities or state of mind; "He acted the idiot"; "She plays deaf when the news are bad" [v] function as or act like; "This heap of stones will act a s a barrier"
act, play
behave, do, function, serve
act, act a part, act out, ape, copy, do, do duty, enact, function, function as, impersonate, masquerade as, mime, mimic, officiate, pantomime, pass for, perform, perform as, personate, play, play a part, pose as, pretend to be, serve, take off, work as