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
Based on the 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.
—
Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 25 Mar. 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
Season 3 As Season 3 begins, Eleven and Mike are officially a couple and can't keep their hands off each other, upsetting an overprotective Hopper, who tries to break them up.
—Brendan Morrow, USA Today, 19 Nov. 2025
In Seasons 2 and 3, Eleven and Hopper experience some friction due to Hopper’s overprotective concern for Eleven’s safety; by Season 4, the characters operate in totally separate storylines and don’t share a scene until the last minutes of the season finale.
—Adam B. Vary, Variety, 8 Nov. 2025
Wagner apologizes, knowing that his relationship with his baby, who is now 27 years old, is too important to throw away by being overprotective of her (or of his work-daughter Kaya).
—Sophie Brookover, Vulture, 31 Oct. 2025
Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 25 Mar. 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
Season 3 As Season 3 begins, Eleven and Mike are officially a couple and can't keep their hands off each other, upsetting an overprotective Hopper, who tries to break them up.
—Brendan Morrow, USA Today, 19 Nov. 2025
In Seasons 2 and 3, Eleven and Hopper experience some friction due to Hopper’s overprotective concern for Eleven’s safety; by Season 4, the characters operate in totally separate storylines and don’t share a scene until the last minutes of the season finale.
—Adam B. Vary, Variety, 8 Nov. 2025
Wagner apologizes, knowing that his relationship with his baby, who is now 27 years old, is too important to throw away by being overprotective of her (or of his work-daughter Kaya).
—Sophie Brookover, Vulture, 31 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for overprotective
Adjective
-
Rabell was pressured to sign money transfers and a power of attorney document and pay a $2,000 deposit to an owner, adult protective investigator Eneida Senrra said under oath to Gardner, the Inspector General investigator.—
Carol Marbin Miller,
Miami Herald,
2 Apr. 2026
-
Once Orion blazes through Earth's atmosphere, a protective heat shield will be cast off to make way for parachutes to deploy and slow the vehicle down.—
Eric Lagatta,
USA Today,
2 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Nancy is hurt and bitter that Jim left her, as well as possessive of you and her sister.—
Jeanne Phillips,
Dallas Morning News,
30 Mar. 2026
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The Creature thinks his suffering can only cease if it is replicated in another, and expresses this desire through possessive, dehumanizing language.—
Rory Doherty,
Time,
7 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
But a jealous Armstrong shot and killed Moriah on May 11, 2022.—
Erin Jensen,
USA Today,
3 Apr. 2026
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For centuries people have wistfully watched birds take wing and felt a bit jealous.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
2 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Overprotective.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overprotective. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
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