responding

verb

present participle of respond
1
as in reacting
to act or behave in response (as to a stimulus or influence) doctors studying how the brain responds to pain

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in replying
to speak or write in reaction to a question or to another reaction the students energetically participated in the discussion, responding to the teacher's questions and comments with alacrity and enthusiasm

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of responding Venture capital is responding by investing heavily in hospitality technology, particularly property management systems, which attracted over $1 billion. — Josipa Majic Predin, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026 Zelensky said a care home for elderly citizens and people living with disabilities was among the dozens of building damaged in the latest attack, and that more than 300 emergency services personnel were responding at the scene. — Svitlana Vlasova, CNN Money, 29 Aug. 2026 And the backwards focus exacerbates the lag in responding to those changes, with potentially serious macroeconomic consequences. — George Calhoun, Fortune, 29 Aug. 2026 Engineers are responding with cooling systems and advanced materials that either remove heat or help machines withstand it. — Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 29 Aug. 2026 By 2023, law enforcement and the district attorney’s office had stopped responding to her, Peterson said. — Leigh Egan, FOXNews.com, 29 Aug. 2026 Instead, the department conducted its own interviews with responding officers and shared them with WCCO. — Susan-Elizabeth Littlefield, CBS News, 28 Aug. 2026 The report stated that a responding officer observed redness on the woman’s face and neck and felt the bump on the back of her head. — Steve Henson, Los Angeles Times, 28 Aug. 2026 Cops responding to the area after the shooting found a window shattered by gunfire and a pool of blood inside Hakim’s, a nearby seasonal restaurant that neighbors say has become a teen hangout. — Lincoln Anderson, New York Daily News, 23 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for responding
  1. reacting
  2. replying
  3. answering
Verb
  • During a news conference, Cooper criticized the effort to ban the devices, arguing that state lawmakers are reacting to actions by the federal government rather than addressing how California law enforcement agencies use the technology.
    — Darrielle Fair, CBS News, 28 Aug. 2026
  • The combat is slow and tedious, with far too much emphasis on reacting to overly precious enemy animations.
    — Jordan Minor, PC Magazine, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of reacting
Verb
  • Draft the note, confirm the plan, and pause before replying if emotions rise.
    — Tarot.com, The Orlando Sentinel, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Its spacious 46mm OLED screen makes checking class reminders, replying to messages, and viewing turn-by-turn directions effortless without taking your phone out.
    — Juhi Wadia, PC Magazine, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of replying
Verb
  • This includes interpreting standing rules and precedents, advising on the wording of motions, helping formulate statements, and answering parliamentary inquiries or points of order.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Imagine answering the call of nature in a dark, stinking chamber alongside dozens of strangers, all while making pleasant conversation.
    — Andrew Coletti, Popular Science, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of answering

Browse Nearby Words

responders
responding
responding (to)
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Cite this Entry

“Responding.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/responding. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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