overact

Definition of overactnext

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 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 See All Example Sentences for overact
Recent Examples of Synonyms for overact
Verb
  • On the other hand, its artistic approach and wider story arc underplay the horror of WW1 combat.
    Matt Gardner, Forbes.com, 17 July 2026
  • In a lot of ways, Abrams’ underplay show at the storied club, billed as a free evening with the star, was more than just a celebration of her new album Daughter From Hell or practice for her upcoming tour.
    Maya Georgi, Rolling Stone, 15 July 2026
Verb
  • Last season, Vítek Vaněček struggled in that role, which led the Mammoth to overplay Vejmelka for the second straight season.
    Jesse Granger, New York Times, 25 June 2026
  • Campaigners, meanwhile, don’t want to overplay their hands.
    Clayton Davis, Variety, 13 June 2026
Verb
  • The Farm Recovery and Support Block Grant program hit a number of speed bumps since Congress enacted it in late 2024.
    Lisa Hagen, Hartford Courant, 25 July 2026
  • Nationwide, about 141 municipalities have enacted permanent or temporary bans, according to the city.
    Hema Sivanandam, Mercury News, 24 July 2026
Verb
  • Abarca claimed that White was acting out an ongoing vendetta against him.
    Ilana Arougheti July 21, Kansas City Star, 21 July 2026
  • And the trailer shows how idyllic the four victims’ college experience was until Bryan Kohberger (who has pled guilty to the murders) seemingly picked them at random to act out his serial-killer obsession.
    Bethy Squires, Vulture, 15 July 2026
Verb
  • Rather than chasing architectural trends or attempting to imitate newer competitors, the Rose Bowl has embraced a strategy rooted in financial discipline, adaptive reuse and authentic placemaking.
    Tim Genske, Forbes.com, 29 July 2026
  • Vegan versions come from sources like ginseng, seaweed, rice or rose and are created through biotechnology to imitate rather than replicate the original molecule.
    Hanna Wickes, Sacbee.com, 27 July 2026
Verb
  • Today, Margaret would be playacting her own massacre in active shooter drills at school.
    Petula Dvorak, Washington Post, 1 May 2023
  • Trump’s modus, as ever, was to playact; his game has always been improv.
    Joe Klein, Washington Post, 12 Jan. 2023
Verb
  • Two teenagers, aided by an arborist, climbed a 100-foot pine tree outside a Pasadena high school Saturday to dramatize a campaign to stop a soil remediation project calling for the removal of nearly 200 trees at several school campuses.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 19 July 2026
  • The pilot will dramatize the trilogy’s opening heist at the Hotel Theresa on 125th, a thirteen-story tower with a striking white façade once known as the Waldorf of Harlem.
    Julian Lucas, New Yorker, 22 June 2026
Verb
  • Child and teen safety risk arises when companion chatbots mimic human emotions and intentions.
    Muhamad Aly Rifai, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026
  • Tahiliani staged a brief presentation with models in his latest designs — the most standout being a series of gowns with foam corsets that mimicked the human torso, draped with fabrics in the same color.
    CNN Money, CNN Money, 30 July 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Overact.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overact. Accessed 1 Aug. 2026.

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