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Recent Examples of overact
The college student performers from the Hartt School aren’t encouraged to overact during the party scene anymore — no more drunk jokes or pratfalls.
—
Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 11 Dec. 2024
One could easily be accused of overacting, of doing too much.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 20 Feb. 2025
There are few instances of someone overacting more in a movie, unnecessarily adding an undercurrent of murderous, jokey psychotic to an already bizarre creation.
—Mark Kennedy, Boston Herald, 13 Dec. 2024
The college student performers from the Hartt School aren’t encouraged to overact during the party scene anymore — no more drunk jokes or pratfalls.
—Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 11 Dec. 2024
In regard to overacting, Pacino addresses it on a case-by-case basis: Some movies call for it, like Scarface.
—Chris Stanton, Vulture, 21 Oct. 2024
The performances seems inspired by the over-the-top techniques of actors who tried to do too much when sound finally came to films, but were used to overacting.
—Bill Goodykoontz, The Arizona Republic, 25 Sep. 2024
Their turns are driven to cartoonish overacting in great part by the words they’ve been asked to say in English and in angry tones.
—Carlos Aguilar, Variety, 30 Aug. 2024
Meanwhile, Greenblatt’s playfully mischievous demeanor as Tina often reads as overacting.
—Carlos Aguilar, Los Angeles Times, 9 Aug. 2024
Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 11 Dec. 2024
One could easily be accused of overacting, of doing too much.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 20 Feb. 2025
There are few instances of someone overacting more in a movie, unnecessarily adding an undercurrent of murderous, jokey psychotic to an already bizarre creation.
—Mark Kennedy, Boston Herald, 13 Dec. 2024
The college student performers from the Hartt School aren’t encouraged to overact during the party scene anymore — no more drunk jokes or pratfalls.
—Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 11 Dec. 2024
In regard to overacting, Pacino addresses it on a case-by-case basis: Some movies call for it, like Scarface.
—Chris Stanton, Vulture, 21 Oct. 2024
The performances seems inspired by the over-the-top techniques of actors who tried to do too much when sound finally came to films, but were used to overacting.
—Bill Goodykoontz, The Arizona Republic, 25 Sep. 2024
Their turns are driven to cartoonish overacting in great part by the words they’ve been asked to say in English and in angry tones.
—Carlos Aguilar, Variety, 30 Aug. 2024
Meanwhile, Greenblatt’s playfully mischievous demeanor as Tina often reads as overacting.
—Carlos Aguilar, Los Angeles Times, 9 Aug. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for overact
Verb
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The Takacs was already a fine quartet, with a lyrical, emotionally frank sensibility that rarely underplayed the character of a phrase.—
David Allen Chet Strange,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2025
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But his performance as the coldly confident Conway is still an excellent part of the world Scorsese constructs, and De Niro underplays to excellent effects.—
Wilson Chapman,
IndieWire,
24 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Fortunately this is a terrific cast that also avoids overplaying the melodramatic undertones here, keeping it believably human all the way.—
Pete Hammond,
Deadline,
7 Mar. 2025
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Often the most formidable issue is the tendency overplay a ‘bot’s developing humanness.—
Randy Myers,
Mercury News,
16 May 2025
Verb
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Andrew Harnik/Getty Images House Majority Leader Steve Scalise formally introduced legislation to enact President Donald Trump's $9.4 billion rescissions package on Friday, setting up a floor vote as early as Tuesday.—
Amanda Castro,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 June 2025
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However, it wasn’t ultimately enacted by the last Congress.—
Dario Sabaghi,
Forbes.com,
6 June 2025
Verb
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However, the dog might also be acting out of boredom, using destructive behavior as a coping mechanism.—
Maria Azzurra Volpe,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 June 2025
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The new study explores an entirely different hypothesis: Maybe some bosses act out on purpose.—
Daniel de Visé,
USA Today,
6 June 2025
Verb
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Life is not imitating art for The White Lotus stars Walton Goggins and Aimee Lou Wood.—
Sydney Bucksbaum,
EW.com,
4 June 2025
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One example is the achievement of Heinz ketchup in validating its market dominance by showing how art imitates life, and AI imitates humans.—
John Werner,
Forbes.com,
29 May 2025
Verb
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Today, Margaret would be playacting her own massacre in active shooter drills at school.—
Petula Dvorak,
Washington Post,
1 May 2023
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Trump’s modus, as ever, was to playact; his game has always been improv.—
Joe Klein,
Washington Post,
12 Jan. 2023
Verb
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The Law & Crime Network has even used AI to help dramatize the trial.—
Lisa Respers France,
CNN Money,
21 May 2025
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Renoir’s film dramatized the end of an era (of high-society frivolities, as war loomed), and so does Anderson’s; namely, the end of the age of buccaneer industrialism.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
29 May 2025
Verb
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South Korea’s new president should mimic Moon’s approach by pushing his national security staff and economic advisers to get into the weeds with their North Korean counterparts.—
John Delury,
Foreign Affairs,
3 June 2025
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Modern robots can move with incredible agility, mimicking animal locomotion and executing complex tasks with mechanical precision.—
James Pikul,
The Conversation,
2 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Overact.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overact. Accessed 17 Jun. 2025.
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