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
Now, who can stop the president from overreaching?
—
Ann Manov,
Harpers Magazine,
23 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
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
Ann Manov,
Harpers Magazine,
23 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
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for overreaching
Verb
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Yet, Rob-Will walked out of rehab, and is intent on thwarting the ceremonial ranch handover to heir-apparent Joaquin.
-
Alexander defeated Slater for the X Division Championship a few weeks ago, thwarting Slater’s chance at becoming the longest reigning X Division champion of all time.
Verb
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Temperatures have reached a heat index exceeding 110 degrees.
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Ultimately, every hire should create value equal to or exceeding the investment the company makes in hiring, developing, and compensating them.
Verb
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The thing is, a lot of people have a talent for deceiving the public.
-
Park and weather officials alike emphasize to Grand Canyon visitors that hiking conditions can be deceiving.
Verb
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This approach will enable capabilities far surpassing current models while consuming a mere fraction of the energy.
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In total, the film series has collected more than $3 billion at the global box office since the first film debuted in 1995, with two of its installments surpassing $1 billion each worldwide.
Verb
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Head coach Dusty May of the Michigan Wolverines hoists the trophy after defeating the UConn Huskies 69-63.
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Leviatán has been crowned Valorant Masters London champions, defeating Paper Rex 3-2 in a dramatic grand final.
Verb
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Two generals agreed with Ashley's characterization, stressing the view that on the front lines, Ukraine was outmaneuvering Russia.
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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.
Verb
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Biden, who has spoken at length about overcoming drug addiction, claims to be at least $15 million in debt.
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Many training programs for travel consultants (or really for anybody who works in sales) include tactics on overcoming objections.
Verb
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Bob Markle was good at outwitting violators.
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Folktales are filled with people fighting to survive in forests, steppes, and deserts, and evading and outwitting the wild beasts that dwell within them.
Cite this Entry
“Overreaching.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overreaching. Accessed 25 Jun. 2026.
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