reacted; reacting; reacts
1
: to exert a reciprocal or counteracting force or influence
—often used with on or upon
2
: to change in response to a stimulus
3
: to act in opposition to a force or influence
—usually used with against
4
: to move or tend in a reverse direction
5
: to undergo chemical reaction
: to cause to react
Examples of react in a Sentence
When I told her what happened, she reacted with anger.
I didn't expect him to react that way.
The firefighters reacted quickly when they heard the alarm.
He reacted badly to the drug.
Recent Examples on the Web
In a statement provided to Rolling Stone, Semisonic reacted to seeing their song about a tipsy last call repurposed as nativist propaganda.
—
Jonathan Bernstein, Rolling Stone, 17 Mar. 2025
The second is to what extent the FOMC should react to any one-off tariff impact on inflation, since the FOMC’s goal is managing the overall level of inflation and not necessarily reacting to specific tariffs.
—Simon Moore, Forbes, 17 Mar. 2025
Her stepmother, Penny Lancaster, reacted to the news with a post on her Instagram Stories.
—Michael Nied, People.com, 17 Mar. 2025
Whether customers abandon Southwest or are simply reacting to the change remains to be seen.
—Leslie Josephs, CNBC, 15 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for react
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Jonathan Bernstein, Rolling Stone, 17 Mar. 2025
The second is to what extent the FOMC should react to any one-off tariff impact on inflation, since the FOMC’s goal is managing the overall level of inflation and not necessarily reacting to specific tariffs.
—Simon Moore, Forbes, 17 Mar. 2025
Her stepmother, Penny Lancaster, reacted to the news with a post on her Instagram Stories.
—Michael Nied, People.com, 17 Mar. 2025
Whether customers abandon Southwest or are simply reacting to the change remains to be seen.
—Leslie Josephs, CNBC, 15 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for react
Cite this Entry
“React.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/react. Accessed 21 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
react
verb
re·act
rē-ˈakt 
1
: to act or behave in response (as to stimulation or an influence)
the colonists reacted to the tax by boycotting tea
2
: to oppose a force or influence
—usually used with against
reacted against their unfair treatment
3
: to go through or cause to go through a chemical reaction
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