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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
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
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
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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China rejects this view and has blasted Taipei for underplaying the role of Chinese Communists in defeating Imperial Japan.—
Jan Camenzind Broomby,
NPR,
2 Sep. 2025
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Bader gives a sharp, subtle performance, underplaying in scenes where even an experienced actor might chomp down.—
Stephanie Zacharek,
Time,
1 Sep. 2025
Verb
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But Barkley suggested the players should be careful to not overplay their hand.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
10 Oct. 2025
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Three mini-columns today: John Fish, the billionaire owner of Suffolk Construction, wildly overplayed his hand trying to jam through that $900-million Turnpike Plaza-gate rip-off.—
Howie Carr,
Boston Herald,
4 Oct. 2025
Verb
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In July, Louisiana enacted a similar drone law that gives law enforcement the authority to intercept and disable unauthorized drones that pose a public safety threat, with penalties up to a $5,000 fine or one year in jail.—
Anna Kleiber,
jsonline.com,
27 Oct. 2025
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According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, two states, Arizona and Hawaii, observe permanent standard time; however, 19 states have enacted legislation that would enact year-round daylight saving time if Congress were to allow such a change.—
Fernando Cervantes Jr,
USA Today,
27 Oct. 2025
Verb
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In order to break free of those constraints, Hedda acts out and becomes an architect of destruction.—
Kathleen Newman-Bremang,
Refinery29,
23 Oct. 2025
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The Kinahans seemed to be acting out of pure rage.—
Ed Caesar,
New Yorker,
20 Oct. 2025
Verb
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In the spirit of art imitating life, the episode calls attention to the proliferation of potentially toxic chemicals in the products many of us slather daily on our face, body and hair.—
Sandee LaMotte,
CNN Money,
21 Oct. 2025
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This provides my son with an opportunity to imitate me verbally and gesturally.—
Hannah Nwoko,
Parents,
20 Oct. 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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Trixie advises Alma to playact highness to flummox E.B.—
Matt Zoller Seitz,
Vulture,
18 Dec. 2021
Verb
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Panahi followed suit with his first feature-length film, The White Balloon, using a pair of siblings trying to find a goldfish for their Nowruz, or New Year, celebration to dramatize economic hardship.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
14 Oct. 2025
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The project engaged Collective Artists Network’s Galleri5 studio, where creative teams used AI technology to construct the epic’s world and dramatize its legendary conflicts and ethical questions.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
10 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The lax rules are being abused by people using services like Suno and Udio, where anyone can make an AI song that attempts to mimic a real artist in a matter of seconds.—
Bobby Allyn,
NPR,
27 Oct. 2025
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Manicurist Brittney Boyce, Fox's go-to nail artist, mimicked that deep red color on the star's nails—with a modern, reflective cats-eye texture.—
Kara Nesvig,
Allure,
27 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Overact.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overact. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.
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