as in responding
to act or behave in response (as to a stimulus or influence)
it was my first touchdown, and I didn't know how to react to the cheers of the crowd
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Recent Examples of reacting
That tension has kept risk pricing unstable, with assets reacting to headlines rather than converging on a clear macro trajectory.
—
Lee Ying Shan,anniek Bao, CNBC, 26 Mar. 2026
Around City Hall Station and Seoul Plaza, large screens drew dense crowds into a collective viewing experience—people watching the same feed, reacting together.
—Yook Jihun, Popular Science, 26 Mar. 2026
The audience clearly agreed, reacting positively and cheering for Blub as the little fish navigated the vehicle through nothing more than natural swimming movements.
—Ryan Brennan, Kansas City Star, 24 Mar. 2026
Manufacturers create fiber optic silicon dioxide, called silica, by chemically reacting gases that contain silicon with oxygen, leading to an ultrapure glass.
—John Ballato, The Conversation, 24 Mar. 2026
Faculty and students are reacting swiftly — and not all agree.
—Howard Blume, Los Angeles Times, 23 Mar. 2026
The deadly crash between an Air Canada jet and a firefighting truck at LaGuardia Airport Sunday night has other pilots reacting.
—Jesse Zanger, CBS News, 23 Mar. 2026
Her acting is richly focused — always working towards obstacle, objective, and reacting honestly to what she is given.
—Heide Janssen, Oc Register, 15 Mar. 2026
The shrub is likely reacting to something in the environment.
—Megan Hughes, Better Homes & Gardens, 14 Mar. 2026
Lee Ying Shan,anniek Bao, CNBC, 26 Mar. 2026
Around City Hall Station and Seoul Plaza, large screens drew dense crowds into a collective viewing experience—people watching the same feed, reacting together.
—Yook Jihun, Popular Science, 26 Mar. 2026
The audience clearly agreed, reacting positively and cheering for Blub as the little fish navigated the vehicle through nothing more than natural swimming movements.
—Ryan Brennan, Kansas City Star, 24 Mar. 2026
Manufacturers create fiber optic silicon dioxide, called silica, by chemically reacting gases that contain silicon with oxygen, leading to an ultrapure glass.
—John Ballato, The Conversation, 24 Mar. 2026
Faculty and students are reacting swiftly — and not all agree.
—Howard Blume, Los Angeles Times, 23 Mar. 2026
The deadly crash between an Air Canada jet and a firefighting truck at LaGuardia Airport Sunday night has other pilots reacting.
—Jesse Zanger, CBS News, 23 Mar. 2026
Her acting is richly focused — always working towards obstacle, objective, and reacting honestly to what she is given.
—Heide Janssen, Oc Register, 15 Mar. 2026
The shrub is likely reacting to something in the environment.
—Megan Hughes, Better Homes & Gardens, 14 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for reacting
responding
Verb
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Athletic coaches, people responding to emergencies, people supervising inmates, custodians, and people helping children who need bathroom assistance get a pass.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
26 Mar. 2026
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Communities should also communicate updates to 911 or directly with responding officers during an incident and provide detailed information about the threat, including a description of individuals, location, weapons, and number of people involved.—
Evonne Andris,
Miami Herald,
26 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Reacting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/reacting. Accessed 27 Mar. 2026.
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