1
as in thwarting
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 exceeding
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 overreaching
During the McCarthy era, overreaching laws, surveillance, and public and private sector reprisals ostensibly targeted alleged communists.
—
Bruce Schneier, The Conversation, 27 May 2026
Politically, the industry was equal parts liberal and libertarian, and was perhaps best reflected by the Electronic Frontier Foundation, created to protect the denizens of cyberspace from an overreaching government.
—Jonathan Weber, Fortune, 19 May 2026
The premiere audience gasped and snorted in disbelief as Stan and Reinsve suffer the indignity of an overreaching state — removing teens, tweens and an infant from their loving care.
—Zack Sharf, Variety, 18 May 2026
The top 3 issues facing our communities in District 2 and San Diego are the high cost of living, crumbling infrastructure and overreaching outsiders.
—David Garrick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 May 2026
However, Dombeck is cautious about overreaching on BTSP’s significance.
—Yasemin Saplakoglu, Quanta Magazine, 24 Apr. 2026
The bill’s supporters frame it as a blow against overregulation, viewing it as a necessary bulwark against (supposedly) overreaching state animal welfare standards like Question 3.
—John Cleveland, Boston Herald, 7 Apr. 2026
The challenge is to thoughtfully manage the gap between innovation and execution, maintaining momentum without overreaching.
—Ashwin Gaidhani, Forbes.com, 27 Mar. 2026
But some Bay Area cities and counties already have decided that the Flock Safety tools are too overreaching.
—Rick Hurd, Mercury News, 27 Feb. 2026
Bruce Schneier, The Conversation, 27 May 2026
Politically, the industry was equal parts liberal and libertarian, and was perhaps best reflected by the Electronic Frontier Foundation, created to protect the denizens of cyberspace from an overreaching government.
—Jonathan Weber, Fortune, 19 May 2026
The premiere audience gasped and snorted in disbelief as Stan and Reinsve suffer the indignity of an overreaching state — removing teens, tweens and an infant from their loving care.
—Zack Sharf, Variety, 18 May 2026
The top 3 issues facing our communities in District 2 and San Diego are the high cost of living, crumbling infrastructure and overreaching outsiders.
—David Garrick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 May 2026
However, Dombeck is cautious about overreaching on BTSP’s significance.
—Yasemin Saplakoglu, Quanta Magazine, 24 Apr. 2026
The bill’s supporters frame it as a blow against overregulation, viewing it as a necessary bulwark against (supposedly) overreaching state animal welfare standards like Question 3.
—John Cleveland, Boston Herald, 7 Apr. 2026
The challenge is to thoughtfully manage the gap between innovation and execution, maintaining momentum without overreaching.
—Ashwin Gaidhani, Forbes.com, 27 Mar. 2026
But some Bay Area cities and counties already have decided that the Flock Safety tools are too overreaching.
—Rick Hurd, Mercury News, 27 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for overreaching
Verb
-
Brendan Fraser is on hand as well, playing a jerky LAPD detective who keeps stepping on Diamond’s toes, thwarting the private eye’s shrewd attempts to crack the case.—
Jordan Mintzer,
HollywoodReporter,
20 May 2026
-
Israel says its strikes are aimed at thwarting attempts by Hamas and other Palestinian militants to stage attacks against its forces.—
Reuters,
NBC news,
7 May 2026
Verb
-
The foundry division recorded a loss exceeding $10 billion in the last quarter.—
Trefis Team,
Forbes.com,
26 May 2026
-
That’s because the new fee study found that Encinitas is already exceeding its goal of setting aside 3% of its land for park areas, Councilmember Joy Lyndes said.—
Barbara Henry,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
26 May 2026
Verb
-
Yet while Hiller has been seemingly everywhere on TV lately, appearances in this industry can be deceiving.—
David Canfield,
HollywoodReporter,
30 May 2026
-
The final score was deceiving because the Rockies scored five runs in the ninth off infielder Miguel Rojas, who was pitching in relief to save wear and tear on the Dodgers’ bullpen.—
Patrick Saunders,
Denver Post,
27 May 2026
Verb
-
Holdovers in Uni markets include UK and Ireland with $2M and a $9M running cume, surpassing lifetimes of Hereditary and Speak No Evil, and having previously overtaken The Black Phone and The Substance.—
Anthony D'Alessandro,
Deadline,
31 May 2026
-
Global music revenues are reaching all-time highs, surpassing $30 billion in 2025, according to the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry.—
Laya Neelakandan,
CNBC,
30 May 2026
Verb
-
The Spurs clinched their spot in the championship round after outlasting Oklahoma City, defeating the defending champs on the Thunder’s home floor in Game 7 on Saturday.—
Tim Rohan,
NBC news,
1 June 2026
-
Two weeks later, Barr walked away with the GOP nomination, defeating the other major Republican competitor, former Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron, by a 2-to-1 margin.—
David Sivak,
The Washington Examiner,
1 June 2026
Verb
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Rather than overpowering them with brute force, German forces managed to defeat the French and British forces in the Battle of France (1940) by simply outmaneuvering them.—
Matthew S Williams,
Interesting Engineering,
20 May 2026
-
The Strategic Powerhouses These names are inspired by women who lead with their minds, outmaneuvering everyone in the room.—
Lauren Brown West-Rosenthal,
Parents,
19 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
One lawmaker Lackey’s unofficial bill title wasn’t lost upon was Assemblymember Isaac Bryan, D-Jefferson Park, a lawmaker who has spoken publicly about overcoming systemic barriers in his own life as a Black man and has centered his political career largely on criminal justice reform.—
Andrew Graham
May 28,
Sacbee.com,
28 May 2026
-
That’s because the Phillies (29-27) stand as a serious threat in the wild-card races, and overcoming the Dodgers in the West race just isn’t realistic.—
Tom Krasovic,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
28 May 2026
Verb
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Bob Markle was good at outwitting violators.—
Dave Duffey,
Outdoor Life,
26 Mar. 2026
-
Folktales are filled with people fighting to survive in forests, steppes, and deserts, and evading and outwitting the wild beasts that dwell within them.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
18 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Overreaching.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overreaching. Accessed 3 Jun. 2026.
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