reacted; reacting; reacts
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
: to cause to react
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
Their objective was to replicate the intricacy of nature in artificial systems that can see and react to their environment—an accomplishment that has long been regarded as challenging at such small sizes.
—
Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 20 Oct. 2025
Hostin and her fellow View cohosts reacted to the video during Monday’s episode.
—Emlyn Travis, Entertainment Weekly, 20 Oct. 2025
Bondi reacted to the sketch by embracing her depiction.
—Brendan Morrow, USA Today, 19 Oct. 2025
The example below from the 24th minute showed how that freed up Sangare, with Santos, who reacts in frustration, and Lavia outnumbered.
—Anantaajith Raghuraman, New York Times, 19 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for react
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Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 20 Oct. 2025
Hostin and her fellow View cohosts reacted to the video during Monday’s episode.
—Emlyn Travis, Entertainment Weekly, 20 Oct. 2025
Bondi reacted to the sketch by embracing her depiction.
—Brendan Morrow, USA Today, 19 Oct. 2025
The example below from the 24th minute showed how that freed up Sangare, with Santos, who reacts in frustration, and Lavia outnumbered.
—Anantaajith Raghuraman, New York Times, 19 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for react
Cite this Entry
“React.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/react. Accessed 24 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
react
verb
re·act
rē-ˈakt 
1
: to act or behave in response (as to stimulation or an influence)
the colonists reacted to the tax by boycotting tea
2
: to oppose a force or influence
—usually used with against
reacted against their unfair treatment
3
: to go through or cause to go through a chemical reaction
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