overreact
verb
over·re·act
ˌō-vər-rē-ˈakt 
overreacted; overreacting
: to react to something too strongly : to respond to something with too strong an emotion or with unnecessary or excessive action
I was furious and yelled at him. He told me I was overreacting and to "chillax."—
Ben Stein
Ben SteinThe world isn't coming to an end. You shouldn't overreact to the negative news.—Adam Bryant
Adam BryantSome of his animals had become apprehensive and twitchy, overreacting to sound or touch …—Mark Caldwell
Mark CaldwellBut the military police overreacted, using tear gas, rubber bullets and excessive force in front of news cameras that spread the images countrywide.—Grant Wahl
Grant Wahl… the poisonous surfeit of hormones produced by the overreacting immune system.—Shannon Brownlee
Shannon BrownleeSometimes companies in a little bit of trouble are the best investments because the market has overreacted.—Orson C. Clay
Orson C. Clay
overreaction
noun
plural overreactions
… he had said almost angrily that he couldn't tell her anything without eliciting a huge overreaction.
—Ann Beattie
Ann Beattie
This response is an overreaction by your immune system to an otherwise harmless substance, such as pollen or pet dander.
—Medical Clinic Health Letter
Medical Clinic Health Letter
Examples of overreact in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The corporate policy change worsened Oakland’s national reputation as an unsafe city to work and live, though the news also sparked backlash from local residents who said the company was overreacting.
—Shomik Mukherjee, Mercury News, 21 Jan. 2026
The battalion chief was overreacting to a misunderstanding over which radio channel Seymour was monitoring, the lawsuit says.
—Judy L. Thomas, Kansas City Star, 21 Jan. 2026
The administration has said the killing was justified by self-defense, while Democrats have said the officer overreacted.
—Bloomberg News, Boston Herald, 17 Jan. 2026
Still, Porter’s supporters contend that the agent overreacted and should have waited for the LAPD to respond.
—Richard Winton, Los Angeles Times, 16 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for overreact
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Shomik Mukherjee, Mercury News, 21 Jan. 2026
The battalion chief was overreacting to a misunderstanding over which radio channel Seymour was monitoring, the lawsuit says.
—Judy L. Thomas, Kansas City Star, 21 Jan. 2026
The administration has said the killing was justified by self-defense, while Democrats have said the officer overreacted.
—Bloomberg News, Boston Herald, 17 Jan. 2026
Still, Porter’s supporters contend that the agent overreacted and should have waited for the LAPD to respond.
—Richard Winton, Los Angeles Times, 16 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for overreact
Cite this Entry
“Overreact.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/overreact. Accessed 23 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
overreact
intransitive verb
over·re·act
ˌō-və(r)-rē-ˈakt
: to react excessively or too strongly
the body's immune system overreacts to the endotoxin—Tina Adler
Tina AdlerLove words? Need even more definitions?
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