Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of overact
That secret shakes Charlie’s love for his intended, messes with work, affects his performance in bed and prompts him to spiral out, overacting at every step.
—
Mark Kennedy, Boston Herald, 2 Apr. 2026
Adrien Brody can’t stop overacting in a commercial for TurboTax.
—Dee-Ann Durbin, Fortune, 8 Feb. 2026
On-screen, the speech’s prestige can overwhelm its existential subject matter, and the passage tends to get overacted.
—Shirley Li, The Atlantic, 15 Dec. 2025
Snook and Lacy, who display such sharp instincts in their best work, seem to have been directed to overact; cameras freeze on their exaggeratedly bewildered or angry or devastated expressions, putting exclamation points at the end of too many scenes.
—Judy Berman, Time, 6 Nov. 2025
His presence is fresh, empathetic, often hypnotic, and never overacted.
—Christian Blauvelt, IndieWire, 24 Oct. 2025
One could easily be accused of overacting, of doing too much.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 20 Feb. 2025
The college student performers from the Hartt School aren’t encouraged to overact during the party scene anymore — no more drunk jokes or pratfalls.
—Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 11 Dec. 2024
Mark Kennedy, Boston Herald, 2 Apr. 2026
Adrien Brody can’t stop overacting in a commercial for TurboTax.
—Dee-Ann Durbin, Fortune, 8 Feb. 2026
On-screen, the speech’s prestige can overwhelm its existential subject matter, and the passage tends to get overacted.
—Shirley Li, The Atlantic, 15 Dec. 2025
Snook and Lacy, who display such sharp instincts in their best work, seem to have been directed to overact; cameras freeze on their exaggeratedly bewildered or angry or devastated expressions, putting exclamation points at the end of too many scenes.
—Judy Berman, Time, 6 Nov. 2025
His presence is fresh, empathetic, often hypnotic, and never overacted.
—Christian Blauvelt, IndieWire, 24 Oct. 2025
One could easily be accused of overacting, of doing too much.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 20 Feb. 2025
The college student performers from the Hartt School aren’t encouraged to overact during the party scene anymore — no more drunk jokes or pratfalls.
—Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 11 Dec. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for overact
Verb
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However, because the artists were not of Mexican descent, Chicano music histories often overlook or underplay this era.—
Oliver Wang,
Los Angeles Times,
4 May 2026
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Not to underplay the seriousness of the situation, of course, but the suspect never made it inside.—
Amber Harding OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
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History suggests that an overconfident Tehran will overplay its hand.—
Karim Sadjadpour,
The Atlantic,
7 Apr. 2026
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Lue has tried to stagger their minutes to not overplay them.—
Janis Carr,
Oc Register,
22 Mar. 2026
Verb
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At the same time, however, the study documented dimming events including in Ukraine and Gaza as wars unfolded, in Venezuela as the economy collapsed, and in parts of Europe when governments enacted energy conservation mandates following the Russia-Ukraine war.—
Bree Shirvell,
Hartford Courant,
12 May 2026
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Bumpy roads could be ahead, fiscally and literally Several states have already enacted gas tax holidays to bring temporary relief to drivers, including Georgia, Indiana, and Utah, which are saving Americans 33 cents, 59 cents, and 6 cents per gallon respectively in those states.—
Jake Angelo,
Fortune,
11 May 2026
Verb
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Created by Eugene Pack and co-created by Dayle Reyfel, Celebrity Autobiography features stars reading — and dramatically acting out — excerpts from famous memoirs, leaning into the unintentionally funny, overly revealing and often absurd moments found within their pages.—
Dave Quinn,
PEOPLE,
9 May 2026
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But Rushing didn’t act out, McDonnell said.—
Fabian Ardaya,
New York Times,
8 May 2026
Verb
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Once established, oaks can grow moderately fast if kept watered and then mulched with compost to eliminate competition and imitate forest conditions.—
Luke Miller,
Better Homes & Gardens,
11 May 2026
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Those cells are highly responsive to mechanical stress—the reason weight-bearing exercise strengthens the skeleton—and the device is designed to imitate that signal through subtle vibration.—
Alice Gregory,
Vogue,
11 May 2026
Verb
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Today, Margaret would be playacting her own massacre in active shooter drills at school.—
Petula Dvorak,
Washington Post,
1 May 2023
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Trixie advises Alma to playact highness to flummox E.B.—
Matt Zoller Seitz,
Vulture,
18 Dec. 2021
Verb
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There’s no better way to dramatize the best of human achievement than that painting.—
Angelique Jackson,
Variety,
8 May 2026
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But the most spectacular works are the 10- and 11-foot lengths of parchment that dramatize the way medieval architects conceived their spiritual ladders to heaven.—
Justin Davidson,
Curbed,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
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One insider in particular alleged that Middleton was upset at Harry and Meghan’s attempts to mimic official royal tours, all while criticizing the institution.—
Lizzie Lanuza,
StyleCaster,
10 May 2026
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For example, even the best physical AI still struggles to mimic the remarkable dexterity of the human hand.—
Dr. Jonathan Reichental,
Forbes.com,
10 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Overact.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overact. Accessed 16 May. 2026.
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