overreach

verb

over·​reach ˌō-vər-ˈrēch 

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

b

: exaggerate

3

: to overreach oneself

overreach

ˈō-vər-ˌrēch 

ˈō-və-

ˌō-vər-ˈrēch 

ˌō-və-

noun

overreacher

ˈō-vər-ˌrē-chər 

ˈō-və-

ˌō-vər-ˈrē-chər

ˌō-və-

noun

Synonyms

• defeat
• thwart
• deceive
• overcome
• outmaneuver
• outsmart
• fool
• outwit
• fox

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

Analysts warn that investors could face pain if speculative infrastructure bets outpace real-world utility or revenues, recalling lessons from early-2000s telecom overreach. —Jason Ma, Fortune, 26 Oct. 2025

Elected in 2012 amid the Tea Party movement, Massie has been a consistent critic of an overreaching federal government, of budget deficits and foreign interventionism. —The Editorial Board, Oc Register, 22 Oct. 2025

Chicago is either a war zone quickly spiraling out of control, or a peaceful city under siege by an overreaching federal government. —Ben Smith, semafor.com, 17 Oct. 2025

The law also aims to rein in the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, which Republicans argue had overreached under former President Joe Biden. —Zach Halaschak, The Washington Examiner, 17 Oct. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

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

Rhymes for overreach

• microfiche
• taoiseach
• beach
• beech
• bleach
• breach
• breech
• each
• keech
• leach
• leech
• meech

Kids Definition

overreach

verb

over·​reach -ˈrēch 

1

: to reach above or beyond : overtop

2

: to defeat (oneself) by trying to do or gain too much

3

: outwit, trick

4

: to reach or go too far

overreacher noun

Medical Definition

overreach

intransitive verb

over·​reach -ˈrēch 

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 

: to make (someone or something) the subject of overreaching

this uncounseled defendant was…overreached by the prosecution's submission of misinformation to the court

—Townsend v. Burke, 334 U.S. 736 (1948)

must determine whether it overreached privilege

—National Law Journal