as in response
action or behavior that is done in return to other action or behavior
we were startled by her extreme reaction to being jilted by her boyfriend
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Recent Examples of reaction
Part of what makes Robinson’s Netflix show so consistently hilarious is the way his characters double down on the wrong reaction, turn minor fixations into all-consuming obsessions, escalate their anger to overthrow a situation’s over-the-top absurdity.
—
David Fear, Rolling Stone, 8 May 2025
More recently, Voight said that he's been surprised at the negative reaction the media had to Trump announcing Sunday — again via his social media platform — that a 100 percent tariff would be imposed on movies coming into the United States after being made in other countries.
—Raechal Shewfelt, EW.com, 8 May 2025
He was poised to compete for a bullpen job in spring training, but a stress reaction in his right foot sidelined him until now.
—Jeff Sanders, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 May 2025
Despite being a mere 10 million years old, Betelgeuse is already nearing the end of its mighty existence, having already expended most of its hydrogen reserves needed to fuel the fusion reaction that prevents the gigantic stellar body from collapsing in on itself.
—Anthony Wood, Space.com, 26 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for reaction
David Fear, Rolling Stone, 8 May 2025
More recently, Voight said that he's been surprised at the negative reaction the media had to Trump announcing Sunday — again via his social media platform — that a 100 percent tariff would be imposed on movies coming into the United States after being made in other countries.
—Raechal Shewfelt, EW.com, 8 May 2025
He was poised to compete for a bullpen job in spring training, but a stress reaction in his right foot sidelined him until now.
—Jeff Sanders, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 May 2025
Despite being a mere 10 million years old, Betelgeuse is already nearing the end of its mighty existence, having already expended most of its hydrogen reserves needed to fuel the fusion reaction that prevents the gigantic stellar body from collapsing in on itself.
—Anthony Wood, Space.com, 26 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for reaction
Recent Examples of Synonyms for reaction
Noun
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The Justice Department announced the decision in a filing April 25 in U.S. district court in Massachusetts, where a lawsuit had been filed in response to the terminations.—
Jennifer Borresen,
USA Today,
4 May 2025
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Last month, in response to Trump’s 145% tariffs on good from China, Beijing responded by vowing to reduce the number of U.S. movies imported into the country.—
Ted Johnson,
Deadline,
4 May 2025
Noun
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And as always, people solicit me to play on a record of theirs, and my first answer is often no.—
Andy Greene,
Rolling Stone,
5 May 2025
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The answer is revealed in the third act of the movie, when Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) announces the group’s name is the New Avengers.—
Zack Sharf,
Variety,
5 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Reaction.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/reaction. Accessed 18 May. 2025.
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