reach

1 of 2

verb

ˈrēch 

reached; reaching; reaches

transitive verb

1

a

: to stretch out : extend

b

: thrust

2

a

: to touch or grasp by extending a part of the body (such as a hand) or an object

couldn't reach the apple

b

: to pick up and draw toward one : take

c(1)

: to extend to

the shadow reached the wall

(2)

: to get up to or as far as : come to

your letter reached me yesterday

his voice reached the last rows

they hoped to reach an agreement

d(1)

: encompass

(2)

: to make an impression on

(3)

: to communicate with

3

: to hand over : pass

intransitive verb

1

a

: to make a stretch with or as if with one's hand

b

: to strain after something

2

a

: project, extend

his land reaches to the river

b

: to arrive at or come to something

as far as the eye could reach

3

: to sail on a reach

reachable

ˈrē-chə-bəl 

adjective

reacher noun

reach

2 of 2

noun

1

: a continuous stretch or expanse

especially : a straight portion of a stream or river

2

a(1)

: the action or an act of reaching

(2)

: an individual part of a progression or journey

b(1)

: a reachable distance

within reach

(2)

: ability to reach

had a long reach

c

: an extent or range especially of knowledge or comprehension

3

: a bearing shaft or coupling pole

especially : the rod joining the hind axle to the forward bolster of a wagon

4

: the tack sailed by a ship with the wind coming just forward of the beam or with the wind directly abeam or abaft the beam

5

: echelon, level

—usually used in plural

the upper reaches of academia

Synonyms

Verb

• buck
• hand
• hand over
• pass
• transfer

Noun

• breadth
• distance
• expanse
• expansion
• extent
• field
• length
• plain
• sheet
• spread
• stretch
• waste

Example Sentences

Verb

She couldn't reach the apple. She was too short.

He couldn't reach the apple, even with a stick.

She can't reach that far.

We reached California after driving for two days.

Their land reaches the river.

Their land reaches to the river.

The phone cord doesn't reach.

Noun

The ball was just out of reach.

Their goal is out of reach.

The country's farthest reaches had not been explored.

the upper reaches of the business

the upper reaches of the river

See More

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Confidence: High Tomorrow night: Mostly clear with some wind reduction as lows reach the 20s to low 30s. —Matt Rogers, Washington Post, 7 Mar. 2023

Providence students won’t have problems taking yellow buses to school today, but that could change later this week if the private company that oversees school transportation in the city and the union that represents drivers don’t reach a new deal. —Globe Columnist, BostonGlobe.com, 6 Mar. 2023

Mangoes can reach their peak ripeness just three to four days after being harvested. —Health, 6 Mar. 2023

Other museums are trying similar approaches to reach new audiences. —Molly Enking, Smithsonian Magazine, 6 Mar. 2023

After that, use the crevice tool to reach crumbs and dust stuck between the seats and in the nooks and crannies. —Brigitt Earley, Good Housekeeping, 6 Mar. 2023

And candidates who pretend otherwise, are not going to be able to reach into the hearts of the American people in lit and win in 2024. —ABC News, 5 Mar. 2023

Once the teams reach the Yukon River they are scattered, with only a few at a time coming into checkpoints. —John Schandelmeier, Anchorage Daily News, 4 Mar. 2023

Greece has a limited rail network that doesn’t reach much of the country. —Costas Kantouris And Nicholas Paphitis, The Christian Science Monitor, 3 Mar. 2023

Noun

Rocker switches on the instrument binnacle are a close reach from the steering wheel and provide the ability to change the various powertrain modes (Electric, Comfort, Sport, Track) and chassis modes (Comfort, Sport, Track). —K.c. Colwell, Car and Driver, 6 Mar. 2023

Yes: +210 No: -270 Most Watched and Wagered Golf Tournament The Players has an international reach on NBC/Golf Channel and digital coverage on ESPN+ and Discovery in more than 200 countries and 27 languages. —Jay Ginsbach, Forbes, 6 Mar. 2023

And while nonprofits news outlets help to fill the gap, many don’t have the reach that even struggling legacy newspapers still have, Usher added. —Elahe Izadi, Washington Post, 4 Mar. 2023

Korean beauty brands, including Missha, Innisfree, Etude House, Clio and Tonymoly, now have global reach. —Patrick Frater, Variety, 1 Mar. 2023

The gun on a modern tank has a maximum reach of about 3 miles, and the vehicle’s top speed is just above 40 miles an hour. —David A. Deptula And Evelyn N. Farkas, WSJ, 24 Feb. 2023

Even though this address has a broad reach compared to other presidential speeches, only around 38 million viewers watched last year’s State of the Union. —Grace Segers, The New Republic, 7 Feb. 2023

Without his mainstream social media megaphones, Trump has relied on his Truth Social app which has a more limited reach. —Jessica Guynn, USA TODAY, 26 Jan. 2023

The dramatic final between Argentina and France had a global reach of 1.5 billion with the far-less-dramatic opening match between Qatar and Ecuador drawing 550 million viewers. —Staff Writer Follow, Los Angeles Times, 24 Jan. 2023

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Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English rechen, from Old English rǣcan; akin to Old High German reichen to reach, Lithuanian raižytis to stretch oneself

First Known Use

Verb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing reach

• beyond someone's reach
• beyond the reach of
• in reach
• achieve/reach an understanding
• out of the reach of
• out of reach
• out of someone's reach
• hit/reach rock bottom
• reach/shoot for the moon
• reach/realize one's full potential
• reach a compromise
• reach/plumb new depths
• reach a consensus
• reach a conclusion
• reach for
• reach-me-down
• reach its conclusion
• reach for the stars
• reach out
• reach one's limit
• within reach
• within easy reach
• within someone's reach
• within (easy) reach of
• in someone's reach
• reach out to (someone)
• long reach

See More

• beyond someone's reach
• beyond the reach of
• in reach
• achieve/reach an understanding
• out of the reach of
• out of reach
• out of someone's reach
• hit/reach rock bottom
• reach/shoot for the moon
• reach/realize one's full potential
• reach a compromise
• reach/plumb new depths
• reach a consensus
• reach a conclusion
• reach for
• reach-me-down
• reach its conclusion
• reach for the stars
• reach out
• reach one's limit
• within reach
• within easy reach
• within someone's reach
• within (easy) reach of
• in someone's reach
• reach out to (someone)
• long reach

See More

Kids Definition

reach

1 of 2 verb

ˈrēch 

1

: to stretch out : extend

reached out her arm

2

a

: to touch or move to touch or take by sticking out a part of the body (as the hand) or something held in the hand

couldn't reach the apple, even standing on tiptoes

reached for the catsup

b

: to extend or stretch to

their land reaches the river

c

: to get up to or as far as : come to

your letter reached me yesterday

tried to reach an agreement

d

: to communicate with

tried to reach you by phone

3

: hand entry 2 sense 2, pass

please reach me the salt

reachable

ˈrē-chə-bəl 

adjective

reacher noun

reach

2 of 2 noun

1

: an unbroken stretch (as of a river)

2

a

: the action or an act of reaching

b

: the distance one can reach

kept it in easy reach

c

: ability to stretch so as to touch something

you have a long reach

d

: the ability to reach something as if by using the hands

a new car is beyond our reach right now

Legal Definition

reach

transitive verb

1

: to extend application to

2

: to obtain an interest in or possession of

unable to reach all the assets of the debtor

3

a

: to arrive at and consider

the justices did not reach that issue

b

: to amount to

did not reach a due process violation

reach noun

reachable adjective