1
as in to defeat
to get the better of through cleverness
a real estate developer who is always trying to overreach his competitors, fair means or foul
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in to exceed
to go beyond the limit of
the mountain climbers overreached their abilities and paid for it dearly
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of overreach
Commentators quickly pointed out that Anthropic itself has faced high‑profile accusations of overreaching in its own data collection practices beyond the copyright case from authors, such as a separate case over scraping Reddit content.
—
Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 24 Feb. 2026
Jennifer Poe, a mother of an athlete on the team, said multiple coaches have been pressured to leave the program due to overreach, stating that coaches should be allowed to pick their own staff.
—Nicole Buss, Sacbee.com, 21 Feb. 2026
The president’s overreaching mass deportation policy will continue.
—Michael Smolens, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Feb. 2026
Democrats and liberals strongly believe Trump has overreached yet again — albeit not in quite such egregious terms — by inveighing against Bad Bunny.
—Niall Stanage, The Hill, 10 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for overreach
Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 24 Feb. 2026
Jennifer Poe, a mother of an athlete on the team, said multiple coaches have been pressured to leave the program due to overreach, stating that coaches should be allowed to pick their own staff.
—Nicole Buss, Sacbee.com, 21 Feb. 2026
The president’s overreaching mass deportation policy will continue.
—Michael Smolens, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Feb. 2026
Democrats and liberals strongly believe Trump has overreached yet again — albeit not in quite such egregious terms — by inveighing against Bad Bunny.
—Niall Stanage, The Hill, 10 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for overreach
Recent Examples of Synonyms for overreach
Verb
-
The Clippers defeated the Warriors 114-101 in their last matchup on March 3.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
11 Apr. 2026
-
Michigan defeated UConn 69-63 Monday night for the team's second NCAA title in school history and the first since 1989.—
Paula Wethington,
CBS News,
11 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
His few lines of dialogue have a power that far exceeds their word count, but what speaks for Jeremy most of the time are his physical gestures, which blend blank detachment with willful ferocity.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
12 Apr. 2026
-
Environmental and health experts warn contamination in some regions already exceeds safety standards, posing long-term risks.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
11 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Officials claimed the drastic measures were needed to thwart Ukrainian drones relying on Russian cellphone internet for navigation as Kyiv tries to strike back during Moscow's 4-year-old full-scale invasion.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
9 Apr. 2026
-
If the law on using a person’s name in a scheme to thwart action by a public agency is not clear enough to support prosecutions, then the law needs to be tightened up — and there is legislation, Senate Bill 1159, aiming to do that.—
Mary Nichols,
Mercury News,
8 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
He's commuted for nearly four years, but recently the spikes of gas have increased, surpassing his monthly budget.—
Kara St. Cyr,
CBS News,
9 Apr. 2026
-
The project was such a big hit that the Russos and Hargrave had to bring its main character back from the dead (Hemsworth’s Rake seemed to have died at the end of the first film) for the second installment, which surpassed the streaming numbers of the first pic.—
Justin Kroll,
Deadline,
8 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Memento has withstood the test of time, thanks to memorable performances, intricately layered storytelling, and what the film ultimately reveals about our all-too-human willingness to deceive ourselves in order to escape unpleasant truths.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
6 Apr. 2026
-
Through the window, the lack of visible trees suggested a barren landscape, but looks are deceiving.—
Quanta Magazine,
Quanta Magazine,
6 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
But Neuer helped Freiburg build the 2-0 lead that Bayern had to overcome.—
Sebastian Stafford-Bloor,
New York Times,
8 Apr. 2026
-
Denver overcame 30 points from Toumani Camara, who hit eight of the Blazers' franchise-record 25 3-pointers.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
7 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
These officers can outrun you, outmaneuver you through dense downtown traffic and scout out any funny business in large crowds.—
Caroline Silva,
AJC.com,
27 Mar. 2026
-
Pancho Villa, the Mexican revolutionary, was labeled as a terrorist and this freedom fighter who’s characterized as this elusive fighter, this person that could outmaneuver American forces.—
Lisa Deaderick,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
22 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Not for the faint-hearted, but catnip for that certain type who’s made a fortune by outsmarting competing hedge fund managers or private equity firms.—
Andrés Martinez,
Fortune,
2 Apr. 2026
-
The struggle resonated with parents on Reddit, many of whom admitted they have been outsmarted by their own baby gear.—
Kelly McGreal,
FOXNews.com,
1 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Overreach.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overreach. Accessed 13 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
