react

verb

re·act | \ rē-ˈakt

reacted; reacting; reacts

Definition of react

intransitive verb

1 : to exert a reciprocal or counteracting force or influence —often used with on or upon

2 : to change in response to a stimulus

3 : to act in opposition to a force or influence —usually used with against

4 : to move or tend in a reverse direction

5 : to undergo chemical reaction

transitive verb

: to cause to react

Synonyms Example Sentences Learn More about react

Keep scrolling for more

Examples of react in a Sentence

When I told her what happened, she reacted with anger. I didn't expect him to react that way. The firefighters reacted quickly when they heard the alarm. He reacted badly to the drug.

Recent Examples on the Web

Get our daily newsletter South Koreans have reacted with rancour. — The Economist, "Relations between Japan and South Korea are fraying alarmingly," 18 July 2019 Investors who are counting on gigantic growth to sustain Netflix's lofty valuation (P/E prior to announcement: 129) reacted with terror, hammering its share price by 11% at the start of trading, and erasing $17 billion in market cap. — Shawn Tully, Fortune, "Netflix Investors Should Focus on This Alarming Number—Not Subscriber Growth," 18 July 2019 The singer included a regal portrait of Meghan in her BRIT Awards acceptance video with Jay-Z in February, to which the royal reportedly reacted with the big eye (👀) emoji. — Erica Gonzales, Harper's BAZAAR, "Meghan Markle Will Attend the Lion King Premiere, so Be Prepared for a Possible Beyoncé Meeting," 11 July 2019 Nitrites can damage cells and react with other molecules found in food to create an enhanced cancer risk. — Alix Wall, sun-sentinel.com, "Some much-loved American Jewish classic foods may increase risk of cancer," 10 July 2019 Business leaders, many of whom have long been critical of Lopez Obrador, reacted with dismay. — Kate Linthicum, latimes.com, "Mexico’s finance minister quits abruptly, sending peso tumbling," 9 July 2019 In the new Hubble image, hydrogen gas can be seen reacting with the bright light streams from new stars close by, which creates the telltale orange glow. — Ashley Strickland, CNN, "Hubble spies a spiral galaxy blooming like roses 70 million light-years away," 8 July 2019 The man retaliates by slapping her as those nearby react with groans. — Scott Craven, azcentral, "Disneyland fight on video stuns Toontown crowd. They wonder why security took 3 minutes to arrive," 8 July 2019 There's a little more of Hobbs' mother (played by Lori Pelenise Tuisano), too, who reacts with glee to her son's plan to stop Brixton, Idris Elba's evil villain. — Jonathan M. Gitlin, Ars Technica, "New Hobbs and Shaw trailer stars a McLaren 720S and Hobbs’ mom," 28 June 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'react.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.