Thesaurus results for OVERPROTECTIVE

overprotective

adjective

as in protective

trying too hard to protect someone (such as a child) from danger His overprotective mother won't let him go out after dark. He is overprotective of his little sister.

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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 overprotective Directed by Glenn Ficarra and John Requa, Honeymoon with Harry follows a rough-around-the-edges man (Gyllenhaal) who ends up sharing an unwanted journey with his fiancée’s (Pidgeon) prickly, overprotective father (Costner) after a life-altering turn upends their plans. —

Matt Grobar, Deadline, 21 Apr. 2026 Pascal has a deep connection to The Virgin Suicides, Sofia Coppola’s 1999 feature directorial debut, which stars Kirsten Dunst as Lux Lisbon—one of five sisters raised by overprotective Catholic parents. —

José Criales-Unzueta, Vanity Fair, 20 Feb. 2026 The original 2003 Pixar movie, produced for Walt Disney Pictures, tells the story of an overprotective clownfish, Marlin, searching for his missing son, Nemo. —

Regina Elling, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Feb. 2026 After everything the children had gone through, their grandparents may have been a little overprotective. —

Libby Smith, CBS News, 28 Jan. 2026 Wright plays the overprotective mother Laura Sanderson in the Amazon Prime series, The Girlfriend, who spirals when her son Daniel (Laurie Davidson) brings home his new mysterious girlfriend Cherry (Olivia Cooke). —

Brenton Blanchet, PEOPLE, 12 Jan. 2026 Season 3 As Season 3 begins, Eleven and Mike are officially a couple and can't keep their hands off each other, upsetting an overprotective Hopper, who tries to break them up. —

Brendan Morrow, USA Today, 19 Nov. 2025 In Seasons 2 and 3, Eleven and Hopper experience some friction due to Hopper’s overprotective concern for Eleven’s safety; by Season 4, the characters operate in totally separate storylines and don’t share a scene until the last minutes of the season finale. —

Adam B. Vary, Variety, 8 Nov. 2025 Wagner apologizes, knowing that his relationship with his baby, who is now 27 years old, is too important to throw away by being overprotective of her (or of his work-daughter Kaya). —

Sophie Brookover, Vulture, 31 Oct. 2025

Recent Examples of Synonyms for overprotective

Adjective

Bike shorts under skirts or dresses, for example, can reduce thigh friction and create a protective barrier during movement.

— Lauryn Higgins, Flow Space, 6 May 2026
Collins said taxpayers should also consider filing a protective claim, which preserves their right to a refund while the legal issue is still being resolved.

— Sydney Lake, Fortune, 6 May 2026