Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of overact
One could easily be accused of overacting, of doing too much.
—
Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 20 Feb. 2025
There are few instances of someone overacting more in a movie, unnecessarily adding an undercurrent of murderous, jokey psychotic to an already bizarre creation.
—Mark Kennedy, Boston Herald, 13 Dec. 2024
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
The performances seems inspired by the over-the-top techniques of actors who tried to do too much when sound finally came to films, but were used to overacting.
—Bill Goodykoontz, The Arizona Republic, 25 Sep. 2024
Their turns are driven to cartoonish overacting in great part by the words they’ve been asked to say in English and in angry tones.
—Carlos Aguilar, Variety, 30 Aug. 2024
Meanwhile, Greenblatt’s playfully mischievous demeanor as Tina often reads as overacting.
—Carlos Aguilar, Los Angeles Times, 9 Aug. 2024
Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 20 Feb. 2025
There are few instances of someone overacting more in a movie, unnecessarily adding an undercurrent of murderous, jokey psychotic to an already bizarre creation.
—Mark Kennedy, Boston Herald, 13 Dec. 2024
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
The performances seems inspired by the over-the-top techniques of actors who tried to do too much when sound finally came to films, but were used to overacting.
—Bill Goodykoontz, The Arizona Republic, 25 Sep. 2024
Their turns are driven to cartoonish overacting in great part by the words they’ve been asked to say in English and in angry tones.
—Carlos Aguilar, Variety, 30 Aug. 2024
Meanwhile, Greenblatt’s playfully mischievous demeanor as Tina often reads as overacting.
—Carlos Aguilar, Los Angeles Times, 9 Aug. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for overact
Verb
-
China rejects this view and has blasted Taipei for underplaying the role of Chinese Communists in defeating Imperial Japan.—
Jan Camenzind Broomby,
NPR,
2 Sep. 2025
-
Bader gives a sharp, subtle performance, underplaying in scenes where even an experienced actor might chomp down.—
Stephanie Zacharek,
Time,
1 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Advertisement China might overplay its hand—that remains a real danger.—
Kerry Brown,
Time,
31 Oct. 2025
-
But Barkley suggested the players should be careful to not overplay their hand.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
10 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
If enacted, many of the policies laid out could significantly alter the day-to-day lives of NASA workers and transform the 67-year-old agency.—
Jackie Wattles,
CNN Money,
10 Nov. 2025
-
But thus far, the promise has yet to be enacted by his Administration.—
Callum Sutherland,
Time,
10 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Others abused alcohol and drugs, were separated and divorced, or acted out violently.—
Arianna Huffington,
Fortune,
6 Nov. 2025
-
As the five-year case unfolded, Betty continually lost court battles and continued to act out.—
Alex Gurley,
PEOPLE,
5 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Art imitating life a little bit.—
Senior Editor,
MSNBC Newsweek,
5 Nov. 2025
-
That work led to the Multisensory Correlation Detector (MCD), which could imitate human responses to simple audiovisual patterns like flashes and clicks.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
4 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Today, Margaret would be playacting her own massacre in active shooter drills at school.—
Petula Dvorak,
Washington Post,
1 May 2023
-
Trixie advises Alma to playact highness to flummox E.B.—
Matt Zoller Seitz,
Vulture,
18 Dec. 2021
Verb
-
And to dramatize how easily the past repeats itself.—
Seth Abramovitch,
HollywoodReporter,
3 Nov. 2025
-
Panahi followed suit with his first feature-length film, The White Balloon, using a pair of siblings trying to find a goldfish for their Nowruz, or New Year, celebration to dramatize economic hardship.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
14 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
In the past, literary and pop-culture-themed rooms have popped in hotels around the country — including designs that mimic Monica and Rachel's Friends apartment, an all-pink Barbie's Dream House room, a winter wonderland from Elf and a chocolate fantasy from Wonka.—
Sonal Dutt,
PEOPLE,
10 Nov. 2025
-
In a series of high-pressure, high-temperature experiments designed to mimic the fiery beginnings of a young planet, scientists recreated the extreme environment where such worlds' molten rock and hydrogen gas interact.—
Sharmila Kuthunur,
Space.com,
10 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Overact.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overact. Accessed 13 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share