Meaning trap
act up
not work properly
to stop working correctly or cause problems, especially for machines, devices, or body parts.
Don't mix these meanings
Same phrase, different job.
to stop working correctly or cause problems, especially for machines, devices, or body parts.
Another meaning of 'act up' is 'misbehave'; compare the examples to keep the meanings separate.
Hear it in context
Notice where the phrase sounds natural.
- My laptop started acting up right before my online meeting.technology
- Sometimes, my internet connection acts up during important video calls, which can be very frustrating.IELTS speaking
Fix the pattern
Pattern: subject + act up
WrongMy back has been acting out lately.
RightMy back has been acting up lately.
It's 'act UP' (playing up); 'act out' means express feelings through bad behaviour — a different thing.
Patternsubject + act up
Use it right
Choose the version that sounds natural in speech.
'Act up' is the casual way to say a device or body part is playing up; 'malfunctioning intermittently' is technical.
Build natural chunks
Words that usually travel with it.
act up (device/body part)my kneethe enginethe wifiagain
Don't confuse it
Don't confuse with 'break down', which usually means something stops working completely.
Related
- act up (misbehave) — Another meaning of 'act up' is 'misbehave'; compare the examples to keep the meanings separate.