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 Now, who can stop the president from overreaching? — Ann Manov, Harpers Magazine, 23 June 2026 Criticizing the Legislature has become a common theme among local governments, such as Boise and Meridian, who have often complained that state lawmakers overreach and step on local control. — Idaho Statesman, 15 June 2026 During the McCarthy era, overreaching laws, surveillance, and public and private sector reprisals ostensibly targeted alleged communists. — Bruce Schneier, The Conversation, 27 May 2026 At some point, the bracket creep is going to overreach into the point of diminishing marginal returns — dulling regular seasons and perhaps ultimately even eventually interest in the postseasons. — Kansas City Star, 24 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for overreach

Recent Examples of Synonyms for overreach

Verb

Beyer won the Democratic nomination the same day, defeating four challengers and securing roughly 68% of the vote.

— Amy DeLaura, The Washington Examiner, 15 Aug. 2026
But the superhero family eventually regains public sympathy for superheroes after defeating the evil Screenslaver (voiced by Catherine Keener).

— Mya Copeland, Variety, 15 Aug. 2026

Definition of defeat

Verb

Liverpool will be guaranteed to play at least 48 times this season, and the expectation will be to comfortably exceed 50 matches.

— Andy Jones, New York Times, 13 Aug. 2026
Soil samples from the two elementary school campuses, City Terrace and Christopher Dena, exceeded the applicable regulatory screening levels of lead, which were flagged for further evaluation.

— Dean Fioresi, CBS News, 12 Aug. 2026

Definition of exceed

Verb

Any chance for a post-trade-deadline revenge night was thwarted when the Mercury ruled Kelsey Plum out ahead of Tuesday’s affair with a lower left leg injury.

— Kai Dizon, Daily News, 12 Aug. 2026
That dynamic has thwarted previous efforts over the years to combine the two news organizations.

— Brian Steinberg, Variety, 12 Aug. 2026

Definition of thwart

Verb

Reuters — The Ebola outbreak in Democratic Republic of Congo has killed 2,325 people, government data showed on Sunday, surpassing the toll from the 2018-2020 outbreak to become the deadliest in the country’s history.

— CNN Money, CNN Money, 17 Aug. 2026
The state has added an impressive amount of solar power and battery energy storage in recent years, surpassing more than 21,000 megawatts of battery capacity, the largest such fleet in the nation, according to the Energy Commission.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 16 Aug. 2026

Definition of surpass

Verb

Now some say the operation has left them feeling deceived and questioning whether the White House considered their safety.

— Scott Nover, Washington Post, 15 Aug. 2026
The two proceed to deceive each other, insult each other’s appearances, and abandon each other in precarious situations.

— Faith Hill, The Atlantic, 14 Aug. 2026

Definition of deceive

Verb

Unlike in the Senate, where Democratic votes can be necessary to overcome the 60-vote filibuster threshold, Jeffries commands a minority caucus in a chamber where Republicans can pass most legislation with a simple majority.

— Lauren Green, The Washington Examiner, 15 Aug. 2026
Lorne Balfe From overcoming dyslexia with early synths to navigating AI, remote recording, and spatial audio, the blockbuster composer reveals how technology shapes his scores.

— Benny Har-Even, Forbes.com, 15 Aug. 2026

Definition of overcome

Verb

The characters' abilities are built around outmaneuvering, not outgunning.

— Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 15 Aug. 2026
For more than a decade, India’s leader Narendra Modi has seemed politically unassailable, presiding over a government that has outmaneuvered opponents, dominated public discourse and squeezed the space for dissent in the world’s biggest democracy.

— Rhea Mogul, CNN Money, 28 July 2026

Definition of outmaneuver

Browse Nearby Words

overrating

overreach

overreached

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“Overreach.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overreach. Accessed 20 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of overreach

verb

Example Sentences

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