VocabularyBasePractice words

Meaning & use

disappearing act

noun·Advancedinformal

Last updated

UK/ˌdɪsəˈpɪərɪŋ ˌækt/
US/ˌdɪsəˈpɪrɪŋ ˌækt/

Meanings

  1. nouncountable

    A magic trick in which a person or object seems to vanish.

    Grammar: It has a plural: the magician performed three disappearing acts.

    Patterns

    • perform a disappearing act

    The magician's disappearing act left the audience stunned.

    He ended the show with a disappearing act involving a car.

    Children love any disappearing act, especially with a rabbit.

  2. nouncountableinformalhumorousfigurative

    An occasion when someone leaves or hides, often to avoid a duty, person or difficult situation.

    Grammar: Usually with do or pull: he did a disappearing act when the bill came.

    Patterns

    • do a disappearing act
    • pull a disappearing act

    He did a disappearing act as soon as it was time to wash the dishes.

    Our manager pulled a disappearing act just before the meeting.

    When the bill arrived, my friend pulled a disappearing act.

Word forms

pluraldisappearing acts

Common combinations

do a disappearing act
The cat does a disappearing act whenever the vet visits.
pull a disappearing act
He pulled a disappearing act when it was his turn to speak.
a classic disappearing act
His absence from the party was a classic disappearing act.
perform a disappearing act
The magician performed a disappearing act on stage.
a vanishing act
She pulled a vanishing act before anyone could ask for help.

Synonyms and how they differ

vanishing act
This is nearly identical and equally common, with no real difference in meaning.
escape
This stresses getting away from danger or capture, while a disappearing act suggests sneaking off from something dull or awkward.
no-show
This describes someone who fails to appear, but it does not imply they were there and then sneaked away.
getaway
This means a quick departure, often from a crime or trip, and lacks the playful tone.

Word family

disappear verb
to stop being visible or present
disappearance noun
the act of vanishing
appear verb
to become visible
reappear verb
to come back into view

Commonly confused: disappearing act or disappointing?

disappearing act vs disappointing

This means causing sadness because hopes were not met, and has no link to vanishing.

Practice

Whenever there is cleaning to do, my brother ____ and is nowhere to be found.

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “disappearing act”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

Your sentence stays on this page and is not sent anywhere.

Explore more words