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
These 2025 Best of Beauty Award winners offer all the overprotective pros without any aggravating cons.
—
Sophia Panych, Allure, 16 Sep. 2025
Olivia Cooke’s Cherry makes out with Laura’s son in public, lies about her knowledge of art, and seems to be hiding a secret—or is Laura overprotective?
—Savannah Salazar, Vulture, 13 Sep. 2025
Meanwhile, Gemma’s niece Cady (McGraw) is now 14, a rebellious teenager living under Gemma’s overprotective rules.
—Denise Petski, Deadline, 12 Sep. 2025
Sophia Panych, Allure, 16 Sep. 2025
Olivia Cooke’s Cherry makes out with Laura’s son in public, lies about her knowledge of art, and seems to be hiding a secret—or is Laura overprotective?
—Savannah Salazar, Vulture, 13 Sep. 2025
Meanwhile, Gemma’s niece Cady (McGraw) is now 14, a rebellious teenager living under Gemma’s overprotective rules.
—Denise Petski, Deadline, 12 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for overprotective
Adjective
-
My mom blow-dries her hair, often using harsh hotel dryers, so a protective spray like this one works hard to keep her hair healthy.—
Anna Popp,
Travel + Leisure,
19 Sep. 2025
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As a possible protective measure, Ottawa and Mexico City vowed Thursday to increase bilateral trade.—
semafor.com,
semafor.com,
19 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Christy costars Ben Foster as Martin's manager-turned-husband James, initially depicted as loving and supportive (one shot shows Christy gleefully leaping into his arms after winning a match), but eventually revealed as possessive and dangerous.—
Ryan Coleman,
EW.com,
11 Sep. 2025
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Lepkowski described her cousin's ex as possessive, controlling and physically abusive.—
Nushrat Rahman,
Freep.com,
9 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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In a 2017 study where participants were induced to feel jealous, those with anxious attachment styles experienced the highest levels of jealousy.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
11 Sep. 2025
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So hot that its Bank of America Stadium roommate, the Carolina Panthers, has to be a little bit jealous.—
Scott Fowler,
Charlotte Observer,
11 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Overprotective.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overprotective. Accessed 20 Sep. 2025.
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