overreach
verb
over·reach
ˌō-vər-ˈrēch 
ˌō-və-
overreached; overreaching; overreaches
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
1
of a horse
: to strike the forefoot with the front part of the hind foot
2
a
: to go to excess
b
3
: to overreach oneself
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
Supporters are currently mounting a legal challenge to the ban, arguing that the government has overreached by classifying the organization as terrorist.
—
Adeola Adeosun, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 Aug. 2025
How To Reset Your Relationship With The Board: First Steps
While overreach from the board can become frustrating, exhausting, and disappointing for management teams, the dynamic presents an opportunity to reestablish boundaries, grow trust, and strengthen transparency.
—Elizabeth Freedman, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2025
The administration’s supporters argued that the district court overreached in attempting to substitute the court’s judgment for the president’s on national security.
—Will Rogers, Baltimore Sun, 22 July 2025
Emma Stammen, a Bail Project policy strategist, said in an interview that Huffman's legislation would be far overreaching and potentially harmful to the state's criminal justice system.
—Alex Driggars, Austin American Statesman, 2 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for overreach
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.
Adeola Adeosun, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 Aug. 2025
How To Reset Your Relationship With The Board: First Steps
While overreach from the board can become frustrating, exhausting, and disappointing for management teams, the dynamic presents an opportunity to reestablish boundaries, grow trust, and strengthen transparency.
—Elizabeth Freedman, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2025
The administration’s supporters argued that the district court overreached in attempting to substitute the court’s judgment for the president’s on national security.
—Will Rogers, Baltimore Sun, 22 July 2025
Emma Stammen, a Bail Project policy strategist, said in an interview that Huffman's legislation would be far overreaching and potentially harmful to the state's criminal justice system.
—Alex Driggars, Austin American Statesman, 2 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for overreach
Cite this Entry
“Overreach.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/overreach. Accessed 19 Aug. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
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)
Townsend v. Burke, 334 U.S. 736 (1948)must determine whether it overreached privilege—National Law Journal
National Law JournalLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share