misbehave
The kids started to act up as soon as the teacher left the room.
act up — 2 meanings
Same words, different jobs. Compare the meanings side by side so you know which one fits the situation.
phrasal verb2 meanings
act upsame phrase
Which one do you mean?
not work properly
My laptop started acting up right before my online meeting.
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Meanings in detail
1. misbehave
B1informalspoken
to behave badly or not follow the rules, especially for children or pets.
The kids started to act up as soon as the teacher left the room.
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B2informalspoken
to stop working correctly or cause problems, especially for machines, devices, or body parts.
My laptop started acting up right before my online meeting.
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