overreach

verb

over·​reach ˌō-vər-ˈrēch How to pronounce overreach (audio)
ˌō-və-
overreached; overreaching; overreaches

transitive verb

1
: to reach above or beyond : overtop
2
: to defeat (oneself) by seeking to do or gain too much
3
: to get the better of especially in dealing and bargaining and typically by unscrupulous or crafty methods

intransitive verb

1
of a horse : to strike the forefoot with the front part of the hind foot
2
a
: to go to excess
3
: to overreach oneself
overreach noun
overreacher
ˈō-vər-ˌrē-chər How to pronounce overreach (audio)
ˈō-və-
ˌō-vər-ˈrē-chər
ˌō-və-
noun

Examples of overreach in a Sentence

She overreaches in her latest book, and her argument is not convincing. The company overreached itself and ran out of money after one year.
Recent Examples on the Web Some commenters have dismissed the case as police overreach. Libor Jany, Los Angeles Times, 25 Feb. 2024 Email address: The high court, determining the prosecutors had overreached, ordered the investigation’s documents destroyed. Andrea Bernstein, ProPublica, 23 Oct. 2023 Three liberal justices accused the majority of overreaching and violating the principle of judicial restraint. Suzanne Nuyen, NPR, 5 Mar. 2024 Despite her appreciation for the island — and especially the community that helped to keep her afloat — the relief of being away from an overbearing and overreaching government was palpable. Ilana Masad, Los Angeles Times, 5 Feb. 2024 True, the courts tossed out the eviction moratorium, vaccine mandate, EPA overreach, and initial student-loan-forgiveness plan. Matthew Continetti, National Review, 2 Feb. 2024 John Drake, a vice president at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, said that the Detroit automakers could struggle to remain competitive after the strike, and that Mr. Fain appeared to be overreaching in extracting concessions. Noam Scheiber, New York Times, 26 Oct. 2023 All 134 seats in the House are up for election in November, and the minority party hopes to convince voters that the DFL has overreached by expanding government spending and creating new programs with costs that will continue to grow in the future. Alex Derosier, Twin Cities, 11 Feb. 2024 While the militias’ autonomy provides Iran with a degree of deniability, analysts say the current escalation is dangerously prone to overreach and miscalculation that could lead to a direct U.S.-Iran conflict. Scott Peterson, The Christian Science Monitor, 6 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'overreach.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of overreach was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near overreach

Cite this Entry

“Overreach.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/overreach. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

overreach

verb
over·​reach -ˈrēch How to pronounce overreach (audio)
1
: to reach above or beyond : overtop
2
: to defeat (oneself) by trying to do or gain too much
3
4
: to reach or go too far
overreacher noun

Medical Definition

overreach

intransitive verb
over·​reach -ˈrēch How to pronounce overreach (audio)
of a horse
: to strike the toe of the hind foot against the heel or quarter of the forefoot

Legal Definition

overreach

transitive verb
over·​reach ˌō-vər-ˈrēch How to pronounce overreach (audio)
: to make (someone or something) the subject of overreaching
this uncounseled defendant was…overreached by the prosecution's submission of misinformation to the courtTownsend v. Burke, 334 U.S. 736 (1948)
must determine whether it overreached privilegeNational Law Journal

More from Merriam-Webster on overreach

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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