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
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Recent Examples of reacts
Her husband is jubilant at her return, but her friend Cee reacts very differently, and old grievances surface as the true price of Helen’s departure comes into focus.
—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
3 July 2026
Balogun reacts after receiving a red card during the second half of the match Wednesday.
—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
2 July 2026
And when Nicky cuts his hand off, there’s differences between how Gabriella reacts to it and Armand, who understands that this is quite tragic.
—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
1 July 2026
Bad Bunny reacts to Novak Djokovic's first-round match on Day 1 of the Wimbledon Tennis Championships on June 29 in London.
—
Brendan Le,
PEOPLE,
1 July 2026
Detroit Pistons guard Malik Beasley reacts during an NBA basketball first-round playoff game against the New York Knicks, April 19, 2025.
—
CBS News,
29 June 2026
Now let’s see how the organization reacts.
—
Pierre Lebrun,
New York Times,
27 June 2026
Executive Vulnerability How a leader reacts in the five-second window after being corrected by a subordinate determines the future of that company’s innovation.
—
William Decourcy,
Forbes.com,
26 June 2026
Researchers quantified the Universal Thermal Climate Index (UTCI), a thermal stress index, essentially a feels-like temperature that accounts for temperature, humidity, wind speed, solar radiation and how the human body reacts to the environment, Emerton said.
—
Julia Jacobo,
ABC News,
22 June 2026
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
3 July 2026
Balogun reacts after receiving a red card during the second half of the match Wednesday.
—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
2 July 2026
And when Nicky cuts his hand off, there’s differences between how Gabriella reacts to it and Armand, who understands that this is quite tragic.
—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
1 July 2026
Bad Bunny reacts to Novak Djokovic's first-round match on Day 1 of the Wimbledon Tennis Championships on June 29 in London.
—
Brendan Le,
PEOPLE,
1 July 2026
Detroit Pistons guard Malik Beasley reacts during an NBA basketball first-round playoff game against the New York Knicks, April 19, 2025.
—
CBS News,
29 June 2026
Now let’s see how the organization reacts.
—
Pierre Lebrun,
New York Times,
27 June 2026
Executive Vulnerability How a leader reacts in the five-second window after being corrected by a subordinate determines the future of that company’s innovation.
—
William Decourcy,
Forbes.com,
26 June 2026
Researchers quantified the Universal Thermal Climate Index (UTCI), a thermal stress index, essentially a feels-like temperature that accounts for temperature, humidity, wind speed, solar radiation and how the human body reacts to the environment, Emerton said.
—
Julia Jacobo,
ABC News,
22 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for reacts
responds
Verb
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When an organization detects and responds to a threat, that intelligence is almost never automatically shared with peer organizations in a form that allows those peers to act on it immediately, keeping humans in the loop.
-
Fashion, as a more traditional industry, typically responds at a slower pace.
Cite this Entry
“Reacts.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/reacts. Accessed 6 Jul. 2026.
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