reach for

phrasal verb

reached for; reaching for; reaches for

: to move one's hand in order to get or touch (someone or something)

She reached for the salt and pepper.

He reached into his pocket for a dime.

: to try hard to achieve or succeed at (something)

Success won't come to you, you have to reach for it.

Examples of reach for in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Two of them also appeared to have tried to reach for a door but were unable to open it before collapsing. —

Gabrielle Rockson, Peoplemag, 17 July 2024 Organizers of the Fantasia Film Festival could not be reached for comment on Friday. —

Etan Vlessing, The Hollywood Reporter, 12 July 2024 James, who could not be reached for comment, was released later Tuesday on a bond of $7,500, according to Monroe County jail records. —

David Goodhue, Miami Herald, 12 July 2024 Retirement remains out of reach for millions of Americans approaching or reaching retirement age. —

Taylor Wilson, USA TODAY, 12 July 2024 See all Example Sentences for reach for

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