as in protective
trying too hard to protect someone (such as a child) from danger
His overprotective mother won't let him go out after dark. He is overprotective of his little sister.
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Recent Examples of overprotective
Here, Oli, Tad’s intrepid daughter, turns him into an overprotective father.
—
John Hopewell,
Variety,
19 June 2026
Based on the bestselling novel by Bart Baker, Honeymoon with Harry follows a rough-around-the-edges man (Gyllenhaal) who ends up sharing an unwanted journey with his fiancée’s prickly, overprotective father (Costner) after a life-altering turn upends their plans.
—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
8 June 2026
The boy’s name is Petros (Karydis) must hide behind a mask per his strict grandmother, who is the mayor, and his overprotective mother.
—
Georg Szalai,
HollywoodReporter,
28 May 2026
Jeon-bok is overprotective of her beloved granddaughter, who lives life with a dangerous heart condition.
—
Kayti Burt,
Time,
15 May 2026
Pascal has a deep connection to The Virgin Suicides, Sofia Coppola’s 1999 feature directorial debut, which stars Kirsten Dunst as Lux Lisbon—one of five sisters raised by overprotective Catholic parents.
—
José Criales-Unzueta,
Vanity Fair,
20 Feb. 2026
The original 2003 Pixar movie, produced for Walt Disney Pictures, tells the story of an overprotective clownfish, Marlin, searching for his missing son, Nemo.
—
Regina Elling,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
15 Feb. 2026
After everything the children had gone through, their grandparents may have been a little overprotective.
—
Libby Smith,
CBS News,
28 Jan. 2026
Wright plays the overprotective mother Laura Sanderson in the Amazon Prime series, The Girlfriend, who spirals when her son Daniel (Laurie Davidson) brings home his new mysterious girlfriend Cherry (Olivia Cooke).
—
Brenton Blanchet,
PEOPLE,
12 Jan. 2026
John Hopewell,
Variety,
19 June 2026
Based on the bestselling novel by Bart Baker, Honeymoon with Harry follows a rough-around-the-edges man (Gyllenhaal) who ends up sharing an unwanted journey with his fiancée’s prickly, overprotective father (Costner) after a life-altering turn upends their plans.
—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
8 June 2026
The boy’s name is Petros (Karydis) must hide behind a mask per his strict grandmother, who is the mayor, and his overprotective mother.
—
Georg Szalai,
HollywoodReporter,
28 May 2026
Jeon-bok is overprotective of her beloved granddaughter, who lives life with a dangerous heart condition.
—
Kayti Burt,
Time,
15 May 2026
Pascal has a deep connection to The Virgin Suicides, Sofia Coppola’s 1999 feature directorial debut, which stars Kirsten Dunst as Lux Lisbon—one of five sisters raised by overprotective Catholic parents.
—
José Criales-Unzueta,
Vanity Fair,
20 Feb. 2026
The original 2003 Pixar movie, produced for Walt Disney Pictures, tells the story of an overprotective clownfish, Marlin, searching for his missing son, Nemo.
—
Regina Elling,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
15 Feb. 2026
After everything the children had gone through, their grandparents may have been a little overprotective.
—
Libby Smith,
CBS News,
28 Jan. 2026
Wright plays the overprotective mother Laura Sanderson in the Amazon Prime series, The Girlfriend, who spirals when her son Daniel (Laurie Davidson) brings home his new mysterious girlfriend Cherry (Olivia Cooke).
—
Brenton Blanchet,
PEOPLE,
12 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for overprotective
Adjective
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For all its functional details, like the four protective feet at the base, a spacious interior, and multifunctional pockets, there are fun ones to match.
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First, the family in the West African nation of Guinea turned to a traditional healer who suggested protective amulets.
Adjective
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But needy, possessive Nikki smothers Bear, and what plays out is a horrifying tale of obsessive love gone wrong — sour, curdled and violent.
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Before too long, however, the romantic spell Nikki is under turns into possessive, obsessive and eventually, deadly behavior, which quickly spirals out of control.
Adjective
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Brunson routinely greets Hargitay with an embrace after games — so much so that fellow Knicks superfan Ben Stiller admitted to being jealous of their bond.
-
Even Madonna gets jealous sometimes.
Cite this Entry
“Overprotective.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overprotective. Accessed 6 Jul. 2026.
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