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
If governments operated with Hayekian principles in mind, there would be more robust commitments to checks-and-balances to ensure government doesn’t overreach.
—
The Editorial Board, Oc Register, 8 May 2026
The top 3 issues facing our communities in District 2 and San Diego are the high cost of living, crumbling infrastructure and overreaching outsiders.
—David Garrick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 May 2026
In moments like these, emergency powers are not about overreach.
—Steve Scauzillo, Daily News, 4 May 2026
By the 1970s, a rise in what conservatives saw as judicial activism had shifted their focus to overreach by the courts.
—Gregg Nunziata, The Atlantic, 27 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for overreach
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The Editorial Board, Oc Register, 8 May 2026
The top 3 issues facing our communities in District 2 and San Diego are the high cost of living, crumbling infrastructure and overreaching outsiders.
—David Garrick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 May 2026
In moments like these, emergency powers are not about overreach.
—Steve Scauzillo, Daily News, 4 May 2026
By the 1970s, a rise in what conservatives saw as judicial activism had shifted their focus to overreach by the courts.
—Gregg Nunziata, The Atlantic, 27 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for overreach
Cite this Entry
“Overreach.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/overreach. Accessed 13 May. 2026.
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
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