Thesaurus results for OVERREACH

overreach

verb

ˌō-vər-ˈrēch

Definition of overreach

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

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 Republican lawmakers disagree, saying that the approval is just another example of an overreaching government. — Tom Wait, CBS News, 19 Aug. 2026 His overreaching executive authority and voter suppression attempts amount to subversive governance. — Letters To The Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 19 Aug. 2026 This should be a welcome sign for every broadcaster who has felt the weight of this overreaching government pressure in silence. — Lillian Rizzo, CNBC, 18 Aug. 2026 But stars Newsom and Schwarzenegger frequently fanned at the plate while overreaching. — Los Angeles Times, 17 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for overreach

Recent Examples of Synonyms for overreach

Verb

Jackson was suspended for striking Bills linebacker Bradley Chubb in the face after the Bills defeated the Rams, 37-34, in overtime on Monday night.

— Gary Klein, Los Angeles Times, 15 Oct. 2026
Voters, though, decisively defeated a repeal measure in 1942.

— Jeremy Kohler, ProPublica, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of defeat

Verb

The blowout news from SpaceX’s Q3 earnings wasn’t the rocket and AI giant’s outstanding performance that far exceeded even the analysts’ elevated expectations, but Elon Musk’s revelation that SpaceX and Tesla are weighing a merger.

— Shawn Tully, Fortune, 22 Oct. 2026
The fires that burned above the Rio Ruidoso watershed far exceeded that threshold.

— Abe Streep, ProPublica, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of exceed

Verb

Scott McNutt of Robbinsville, New Jersey, argues that the ban, which was put in place to thwart tax evasion, is unconstitutional.

— Gretchen Reynolds, Washington Post, 19 Oct. 2026
Meanwhile, Katie’s out here trying to get people to vote for Michael at the roundtable in order to thwart Victor’s plans to get Tomica out.

— Alice Burton, Vulture, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of thwart

Verb

In April, the Dells became the first donors to surpass $1 billion in lifetime giving to the University of Texas at Austin.

— Sydney Lake, Fortune, 17 Oct. 2026
Released late last year, the short by writer-director Martin Hemingway-Moseley has surpassed 600k views on YouTube, maintained a 99% approval rating and has a strong following across social platforms.

— Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of surpass

Verb

The evidence does not establish that Claude deliberately set out to deceive investigators.

— Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 19 Oct. 2026
Until Holmes, the characters in Oppenheim’s documentaries had been relative unknowns — people with far less incentive to deceive him.

— Alex Barasch, Vulture, 19 Oct. 2026

Definition of deceive

Verb

For now, the study identifies a previously underappreciated part of the immune system that could help overcome one of SCLC’s most persistent defenses.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 15 Oct. 2026
But Gordon has emerged as Miami’s clear lead back, capable of overcoming a poor situation.

— Dalton Del Don, New York Times, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of overcome

Verb

The original 1960s cars had legendary status dominating the Monte Carlo Rally, outmaneuvering heavier machinery across icy mountain passes with lightweight agility rather than brute off-road hardware.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 9 Oct. 2026
And Michael and Olivia don’t exactly outmaneuver their opponents.

— Noel Murray, Vulture, 9 Oct. 2026

Definition of outmaneuver

Verb

Despite Riyadh’s considerable air defenses and vast military spending, the militants have been able to outsmart the systems using relatively cheap drones and missiles.

— semafor.com, semafor.com, 16 Oct. 2026
In his younger days, Presnell seemed to enjoy outsmarting people.

— Thomas Lake, AJC.com, 7 Oct. 2026

Definition of outsmart

Browse Nearby Words

overrating

overreach

overreached

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Style

“Overreach.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overreach. Accessed 23 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of overreach

verb

Example Sentences

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