overreact
verb
over·re·act
ˌō-vər-rē-ˈakt 
overreacted; overreacting
: to react to something too strongly : to respond to something with too strong an emotion or with unnecessary or excessive action
I was furious and yelled at him. He told me I was overreacting and to "chillax."—
Ben Stein
Ben SteinThe world isn't coming to an end. You shouldn't overreact to the negative news.—Adam Bryant
Adam BryantSome of his animals had become apprehensive and twitchy, overreacting to sound or touch …—Mark Caldwell
Mark CaldwellBut the military police overreacted, using tear gas, rubber bullets and excessive force in front of news cameras that spread the images countrywide.—Grant Wahl
Grant Wahl… the poisonous surfeit of hormones produced by the overreacting immune system.—Shannon Brownlee
Shannon BrownleeSometimes companies in a little bit of trouble are the best investments because the market has overreacted.—Orson C. Clay
Orson C. Clay
overreaction
noun
plural overreactions
… he had said almost angrily that he couldn't tell her anything without eliciting a huge overreaction.
—Ann Beattie
Ann Beattie
This response is an overreaction by your immune system to an otherwise harmless substance, such as pollen or pet dander.
—Medical Clinic Health Letter
Medical Clinic Health Letter
Examples of overreact in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Ask yourself if investors are overreacting to a problem that’s fixable.
—Ryan Ermey, CNBC, 28 Jan. 2025
Brian Jacobsen, chief economist at Annex Wealth Management, suggested not overreacting to Monday’s sharp swings.
—Stan Choe, Los Angeles Times, 27 Jan. 2025
But Reddit users don't think the poster overreacted.
—Virginia Chamlee, People.com, 23 Jan. 2025
Musk has said that critics are overreacting, but that has not stopped several online communities from cutting ties with his social media platform X (formerly Twitter).
—Raul A. Reyes, Newsweek, 22 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for overreact 
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Ryan Ermey, CNBC, 28 Jan. 2025
Brian Jacobsen, chief economist at Annex Wealth Management, suggested not overreacting to Monday’s sharp swings.
—Stan Choe, Los Angeles Times, 27 Jan. 2025
But Reddit users don't think the poster overreacted.
—Virginia Chamlee, People.com, 23 Jan. 2025
Musk has said that critics are overreacting, but that has not stopped several online communities from cutting ties with his social media platform X (formerly Twitter).
—Raul A. Reyes, Newsweek, 22 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for overreact
Dictionary Entries Near overreact
Cite this Entry
“Overreact.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/overreact. Accessed 8 Feb. 2025.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
overreact
intransitive verb
over·re·act
ˌō-və(r)-rē-ˈakt
: to react excessively or too strongly
the body's immune system overreacts to the endotoxin—Tina Adler
Tina AdlerLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
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