1
as in deceived
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
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2
as in exceeded
to go beyond the limit of
the mountain climbers overreached their abilities and paid for it dearly
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of overreached
Rozier's lawyers have asked for the charges against him to be thrown out, arguing that the government overreached by turning a private dispute over bettors' use of nonpublic information into a federal case.
—
CBS News, 3 Feb. 2026
The defense has argued that the encounters were consensual and that the government has overreached.
—Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, FOXNews.com, 20 Jan. 2026
The pregnant pauses between seasons have overreached.
—Emma Flint, IndieWire, 25 Nov. 2025
The law also aims to rein in the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, which Republicans argue had overreached under former President Joe Biden.
—Zach Halaschak, The Washington Examiner, 17 Oct. 2025
CBS News, 3 Feb. 2026
The defense has argued that the encounters were consensual and that the government has overreached.
—Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, FOXNews.com, 20 Jan. 2026
The pregnant pauses between seasons have overreached.
—Emma Flint, IndieWire, 25 Nov. 2025
The law also aims to rein in the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, which Republicans argue had overreached under former President Joe Biden.
—Zach Halaschak, The Washington Examiner, 17 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for overreached
Verb
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And don’t be deceived by Saturday’s sunny skies as the high will be 32 with wind chills as low as 9 degrees.—
Amanda McCoy,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
30 Jan. 2026
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Challengers should give Marylanders the option to choose a new direction and remove the need to confront the painful reality that they were deceived.—
Torrey Snow,
Baltimore Sun,
14 Jan. 2026
Verb
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After tallying wastewater and stormwater system needs listed by communities and states for the next 20 years, the EPA concluded the total needed to upgrade wastewater systems exceeded $300 billion over the next 20 years.—
Dinah Voyles Pulver,
USA Today,
22 Feb. 2026
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But the up and down, fluctuating tariffs around the world spooked American businesses, prompting a court challenge, contending that the president had exceeded his authority in imposing the tariffs.—
Nina Totenberg,
NPR,
20 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Valencia’s girls basketball team defeated Windward 59-46 on Saturday night in the CIF-SS Division 1 semifinals at Valencia High.—
Tony Gleason,
Daily News,
22 Feb. 2026
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In a showdown between defensive ends, Shea defeated Moss, a Western Illinois football recruit, by an 8-4 decision to become the state champion.—
Bobby Narang,
Chicago Tribune,
22 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Winning games is hard, though; Sunderland have won nine out of 26 in the league in a season that has surpassed all expectations.—
Oliver Kay,
New York Times,
20 Feb. 2026
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Maher ended his career with the NFL record for the most 60-yard field goals, a mark that would be surpassed by current Cowboys All-Pro kicker Brandon Aubrey.—
Lawrence Dow,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
19 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The suit, which sought damages and the installation of a federal monitor at the NYPD, also alleged that ousted former Chief of Department Jeffrey Maddrey installed spies in Donlon’s office and that Adams’ NYPD brass thwarted internal misconduct investigations.—
Molly Crane-Newman,
New York Daily News,
19 Feb. 2026
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The military said in a statement that the attackers overnight had sought to breach the checkpoint but were thwarted by security forces.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
17 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Despite being outnumbered and outmaneuvered, Washington maintained order among his demoralized troops.—
Christopher Magra,
The Conversation,
10 Feb. 2026
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But he was outmaneuvered by a bipartisan groundswell of support from lawmakers and the public, and eventually dropped his opposition.—
CNN.com Wire Service,
Mercury News,
31 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Maduro has in any case outwitted dozens of attempts to depose him over the years.—
Quico Toro,
The Atlantic,
4 Nov. 2025
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Though Penn State had a key injury with linebacker Tony Rojas sidelined, Knowles was also outwitted by Neuheisel, who only took over the role for the Bruins earlier this week.—
Cameron Teague Robinson,
New York Times,
5 Oct. 2025
Verb
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However, ancient mythology is filled with examples of crafty foxes being outsmarted by their own traps.—
Jeffrey Sonnenfeld,
Time,
20 Jan. 2026
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However, Cena outsmarted him by grabbing the chair, throwing it next to Dom, and pretending to be down on the mat.—
Matthew Couden,
MSNBC Newsweek,
11 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Overreached.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overreached. Accessed 24 Feb. 2026.
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