to act up

Examples

• All

• My back is acting up again.

  The Purple Rose of Cairo (1985)

• At first, I thought it was my middle ear acting up.

  Fiction book (2002)

• Is your back acting up again?

  The TV Set (2007)

• Tell him that my back thing is acting up and I have to stay in bed for a few days.

  Dinner for Schmucks (2010)

• I said I was as hard a worker as the next man, except when my back was acting up.

  Fiction book (1991)

• Your allergies acting up again?

  Rampage (2018)

• My allergies were acting up.

  Fiction book (2002)

• My back is acting up, so I'm unable to run at the moment without aggravating that.

  Rich Roll

• Yeah, that's right; my sinuses are acting up again.

  Fiction book (1993)

• My back is acting up again, making it hard to sit for long periods.

Synonyms

F

to flare up

vsto act up

37 4.7

To become suddenly stronger or worse, often for a short time

worsens again after improvement but not necessarily suddenly

S

to seize up

vsto act up

11 6.5

Stop working properly because of damage or lack of oil

becomes painful or troublesome again without necessarily stopping movement

I

to inflame

vsto act up

• Specialized

3 5.3

To make part of the body red, swollen, and painful

causes pain or problems again without implying inflammation

E

to enflame

vsto act up

• Specialized

1 7.2

To make a part of the body red, swollen, or painful

causes pain or problems again rather than naming inflammation specifically

R

to recrudesce

vsto act up

• Specialized

1 9.9

Start again after a quiet time, usually something bad

occurs again after improvement but emphasizes pain or body problems

Antonyms

I

to improve

∞ 1.0

To make something better

H

to heal

726 1.2

To become healthy again after an injury, illness, or emotional pain

How Troublesome

to flare up

37 4.7

to act up

14 5.9

to hurt

∞ 1.0

to trouble

128 1.8

to ache

66 1.0

Surface Forms

Morphology

Etymology