as in responds
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 reacts
Here, freshman Noah Mikhail (among others) reads and reacts to this play perfectly and knifes in for a TFL.
—
Tony Catalina, Austin American Statesman, 4 Feb. 2026
Russian comedian Artemy Ostanin reacts behind a glass wall in an enclosure for defendants during a court hearing after his March 2025 arrest over a stand‑up performance, in Moscow, Russia, February 4, 2026.
—CBS News, 4 Feb. 2026
Platforms evade responsibility by invoking Section 230 and the language of free speech, while in practice exercising enormous editorial power over what the public sees, believes and reacts to.
—Editorial, Boston Herald, 1 Feb. 2026
This is the first evidence that this quark-gluon plasma reacts to particles speeding through it in the same way that liquid does, splashing and rippling, acting as a single unified liquid rather than randomly scattering as individual particles would.
—Robert Lea, Space.com, 30 Jan. 2026
When a family member says something that triggers us, our body reacts before our brain has had a chance to interpret.
—Glenn Kurlander, Fortune, 28 Jan. 2026
Chloe Kim of the United States reacts during the podium ceremony after winning the Women's Snowboard Halfpipe Final during the Toyota US Grand Prix at Buttermilk Ski Resort on February 01, 2025 in Aspen, Colorado.
—Michelle Bruton, Forbes.com, 27 Jan. 2026
The result is a system that reacts to emergencies instead of preventing them.
—Zeynep Portway, The Orlando Sentinel, 22 Jan. 2026
The material reacts faster to temperature changes and maintains high levels of efficiency even after extensive use.
—Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 22 Jan. 2026
Tony Catalina, Austin American Statesman, 4 Feb. 2026
Russian comedian Artemy Ostanin reacts behind a glass wall in an enclosure for defendants during a court hearing after his March 2025 arrest over a stand‑up performance, in Moscow, Russia, February 4, 2026.
—CBS News, 4 Feb. 2026
Platforms evade responsibility by invoking Section 230 and the language of free speech, while in practice exercising enormous editorial power over what the public sees, believes and reacts to.
—Editorial, Boston Herald, 1 Feb. 2026
This is the first evidence that this quark-gluon plasma reacts to particles speeding through it in the same way that liquid does, splashing and rippling, acting as a single unified liquid rather than randomly scattering as individual particles would.
—Robert Lea, Space.com, 30 Jan. 2026
When a family member says something that triggers us, our body reacts before our brain has had a chance to interpret.
—Glenn Kurlander, Fortune, 28 Jan. 2026
Chloe Kim of the United States reacts during the podium ceremony after winning the Women's Snowboard Halfpipe Final during the Toyota US Grand Prix at Buttermilk Ski Resort on February 01, 2025 in Aspen, Colorado.
—Michelle Bruton, Forbes.com, 27 Jan. 2026
The result is a system that reacts to emergencies instead of preventing them.
—Zeynep Portway, The Orlando Sentinel, 22 Jan. 2026
The material reacts faster to temperature changes and maintains high levels of efficiency even after extensive use.
—Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 22 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for reacts
responds
Verb
-
Muscle man responds with a robotic, chatbot-like answer and then abruptly touts a special offer for workout-improving insoles.—
Alexei Oreskovic,
Fortune,
5 Feb. 2026
-
How the body responds to weight loss In 2023, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that more than 40% of American adults live with obesity.—
Amy J. Sheer,
The Conversation,
5 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Reacts.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/reacts. Accessed 12 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
