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Recent Examples of overact
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
The welcome lack of overacting is evident throughout the show.
—Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 22 Apr. 2024
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
The welcome lack of overacting is evident throughout the show.
—Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 22 Apr. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for overact
Verb
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Some companies overstate the benefits while underplaying the hazards.—
Aimee Pugh Bernard,
The Conversation,
28 Jan. 2025
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Notice the costs of underplaying the conversation, which many tend to do.—
Hylke Faber,
Forbes,
10 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Barcelona is just about making its way past an era when overplayed elderly players shuffled about for far too high wages.—
Zak Garner-Purkis,
Forbes,
27 Feb. 2025
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To say that Trump is overplaying America's hand with regard to Russia is an understatement.—
David Faris,
Newsweek,
27 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Tariffs on Canada and Mexico were delayed for a month, but Trump did enact a new 10% across-the-board tariff on Chinese products.—
Auzinea Bacon,
CNN,
2 Mar. 2025
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Drouin fears what will happen to the lobster industry if the trade dispute persists and Canada enacts a retaliatory tariff on lobsters.—
Dee-Ann Durbin and Sally Ho,
Los Angeles Times,
2 Mar. 2025
Verb
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The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s new exhibition (March 25) takes a wary view of its own contents, which span half a millennium, arguing that the West acted out its daydreams of a docile Orient one cup-and-saucer at a time.—
Shauna Lyon,
The New Yorker,
28 Feb. 2025
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The Department of Government Efficiency, which Musk does not officially lead but has acted out his objectives, has been orchestrating a campaign to drastically cut the federal workforce and budget.—
Jeanine Santucci,
USA TODAY,
27 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Gone were the regal ceremony and traditionalism, replaced by a humility intended to imitate Christ’s poverty.—
Timothy Nerozzi,
Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government,
28 Feb. 2025
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Xi has no reason to imitate Putin’s reckless break with Europe and the United States.—
Michael Kimmage,
Foreign Affairs,
25 Feb. 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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Directed and co-written by Alex Parkinson, Last Breath dramatizes the true story of a saturation-diving accident that took place off the coast of Scotland in 2012, and is based on Parkinson and Richard da Costa's 2019 documentary of the same name.—
Megan McCluskey,
TIME,
1 Mar. 2025
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Instead, the case of Mahler-Werfel dramatizes how opportunity, environment, and other contingencies shape artistic careers.—
Alex Ross,
The New Yorker,
3 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Cybercriminals have adopted machine learning and AI to revolutionize their tactics, employing tools that automate reconnaissance, craft hyper-realistic phishing emails and mimic trusted voices or identities.—
Jeremy Dodson,
Forbes,
26 Feb. 2025
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Cows, sheep, and other livestock are allowed to roam freely in pastures that mimic natural environments.5 This is believed to be healthier for the animals and produce more nutrient-dense meat and milk.—
Chelsea Rae Bourgeois, RDN, LD,
Health,
24 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Overact.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overact. Accessed 13 Mar. 2025.
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