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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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To describe the United States’ military interventions as mishandled, for example, is to criminally underplay their impact.—
Emma Ashford,
Foreign Affairs,
29 May 2020
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And David Rosenberg subtly underplays Alex, an American ex-pat who’s haunted by ghosts of his own.—
Pam Kragen,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
14 Feb. 2025
Verb
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People who like to show their cards sometimes overplay them.—
Dan Alexander,
Forbes.com,
12 Apr. 2025
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When Colorado State overplayed the interior, Maryland was able to make the Rams pay for it in high-leverage situations.—
Baltimore Sun staff,
Baltimore Sun,
24 Mar. 2025
Verb
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The Florida Sheriff's Association announced in February that all county jails had signed agreements in compliance with a state law enacted in 2022.—
Julia Ingram,
CBS News,
18 Apr. 2025
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Republicans are hoping to raise the nation’s borrowing limit, which caps how much money the Treasury Department can owe to pay the country’s bills, by up to $5 trillion this year as part of a larger package to extend expiring tax cuts enacted through Trump’s signature 2017 tax law.—
Aris Folley,
The Hill,
18 Apr. 2025
Verb
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His days are spent either sitting sadly on Iris’ bed with literal hangdog eyes or acting out and destroying things in her apartment.—
Lindsey Bahr,
Twin Cities,
2 Apr. 2025
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But most small children eventually outgrow the impulse to act out.—
Daniel D'Addario,
Variety,
27 Mar. 2025
Verb
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The Cubs beat the Dodgers 16-0 on Saturday, featuring an entertaining moment in which position-player-pitching Miguel Rojas imitated the deliveries of a few Dodgers pitchers.—
Ken Rosenthal,
New York Times,
14 Apr. 2025
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Moreover, these models can imitate individuals' or industries' writing styles and wording.—
Kevin Korte,
Forbes.com,
8 Apr. 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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Unlike Molly, who's politely reticent and reluctant to speak up for herself, Nikki can't resist expressing her anger and sorrow—or, more precisely, dramatizing them for whatever audience of oncologists happens to be in range.—
Dory Jackson,
People.com,
4 Apr. 2025
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The network’s right to turn George and Tammy’s story into a TV show came from the First Amendment and from buying the rights to dramatize Georgette’s book.—
Chris Willman,
Variety,
23 Mar. 2025
Verb
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This behavior mimics their wild ancestors, who would ambush prey from above or perch in trees to avoid danger.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
14 Apr. 2025
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For example, might the animals mimic the noise to ask for the object?—
Melissa Hobson,
Scientific American,
14 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Overact.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overact. Accessed 24 Apr. 2025.
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