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

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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

The most obvious steps are to react in the moment, challenging a comment, for example. — Liz Reyer, The Seattle Times, "How to take on someone who says sexist and demeaning things at work," 25 Mar. 2019 Warren has not been particularly fast to react to questions about her heritage. — Emily Stewart, Vox, "Elizabeth Warren releases her DNA test results and dares Trump to make good on his $1 million bet," 15 Oct. 2018 Of course, fans of the two have been reacting to the post on social media. — Nicole Weaver, Teen Vogue, "Kiernan Shipka Proposed to Noah Centineo on Instagram," 11 Sep. 2018 Tottenham fans have been reacting online to Toby Alderweireld's recent tweet about fellow Belgian striker Romelu Lukaku. — SI.com, "Tottenham Fans Frustrated With Star Man's Tweet About Romelu Lukaku After Belgium Brace," 24 June 2018 The South had been reacting to a North Korean nuclear test. — Washington Post, "Koreas agree to restore military communication lines," 14 June 2018 Both ideas, though different, react towards one common problem in the fashion industry: plastic. — Teen Vogue, "Kick Off Earth Day With These 6 Sustainable Sneakers," 22 Apr. 2019 How will George, Charlotte, and Louis react to their new cousin?? — Katherine J. Igoe, Marie Claire, "Why Prince William May Miss Meghan Markle and Harry's Baby's Birth," 31 Mar. 2019 Chelsea's Eden Hazard reacts after Manchester City's Sergio Aguero scores to complete a hat-trick. — Joshua Robinson, WSJ, "Chelsea May Have to Hit the Reset Button, Again," 22 Feb. 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.