1
as in handing
to shift possession of (something) from one person to another
would you reach me the potatoes, please?
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in contacting
to transmit information or requests to
you can reach me by phone after 3:00 p.m. most days
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in influencing
to act upon (a person or a person's feelings) so as to cause a response
the movie adaptation just didn't reach me the way the novel did
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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show current usage.
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Recent Examples of reaching
The protests have grown drastically in scope over the past week, reaching a point where some analysts believe the regime may have reached a tipping point.
—
Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 8 Jan. 2026
That commitment to authenticity became especially clear after his video about being cut from the G-League went viral, reaching over 270,000 views.
—Jordan Greene, PEOPLE, 8 Jan. 2026
Butter crocks are designed with an air-tight seal and a separate space to store water at the bottom that prevents air from reaching the butter, which can lead to spoiling.
—Alicia Geigel, Southern Living, 7 Jan. 2026
That included winning three of the last six Super Bowls while appearing in five of them, while also reaching the AFC Championship Game for seven consecutive seasons.
—Jesse Newell, New York Times, 7 Jan. 2026
But after agency officials euthanized 33 adult male sea lions at the falls, the number of steelhead reaching their destination went from hundreds to thousands.
—Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 7 Jan. 2026
According to linguist Gorrie, the story had traveled far and been translated multiple times before reaching Walpole in London.
—Juliana Kim, NPR, 7 Jan. 2026
For math, the district again saw 49% of students reaching their growth targets -- or two percentage points below the state average.
—Dmitry Martirosov, Arkansas Online, 12 Nov. 2025
OpenAI also expects to burn through 14 times more cash than Anthropic before reaching profitability.
—Beatrice Nolan, Fortune, 11 Nov. 2025
Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 8 Jan. 2026
That commitment to authenticity became especially clear after his video about being cut from the G-League went viral, reaching over 270,000 views.
—Jordan Greene, PEOPLE, 8 Jan. 2026
Butter crocks are designed with an air-tight seal and a separate space to store water at the bottom that prevents air from reaching the butter, which can lead to spoiling.
—Alicia Geigel, Southern Living, 7 Jan. 2026
That included winning three of the last six Super Bowls while appearing in five of them, while also reaching the AFC Championship Game for seven consecutive seasons.
—Jesse Newell, New York Times, 7 Jan. 2026
But after agency officials euthanized 33 adult male sea lions at the falls, the number of steelhead reaching their destination went from hundreds to thousands.
—Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 7 Jan. 2026
According to linguist Gorrie, the story had traveled far and been translated multiple times before reaching Walpole in London.
—Juliana Kim, NPR, 7 Jan. 2026
For math, the district again saw 49% of students reaching their growth targets -- or two percentage points below the state average.
—Dmitry Martirosov, Arkansas Online, 12 Nov. 2025
OpenAI also expects to burn through 14 times more cash than Anthropic before reaching profitability.
—Beatrice Nolan, Fortune, 11 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for reaching
Verb
-
An attack on Greenland would shatter NATO, handing a strategic victory to Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin as the world's most successful defensive alliance collapses.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
22 Jan. 2026
-
In the 40th minute, Evan Vaden buried a header into the top left corner of the net off an excellent ball from Lucas Petersen, handing Mission Bay a 1-0 lead heading into halftime.—
Clark Fahrenthold,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
22 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
And as a result of questions from reporters Ashley Luthern (Journal Sentinel), Ben Jordan (TMJ4), and Mario Koran (Wisconsin Watch), the DA's Office revised the list, adding two individuals and removing others, and contacting dozens of defendants whose cases may have been affected by the changes.—
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel,
jsonline.com,
23 Jan. 2026
-
Try to keep the material from directly contacting foliage.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
23 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Industrial demand versus pure investment appeal Gold's role remains primarily as a monetary asset and store of value, with minimal industrial demand influencing its price.—
Angelica Leicht,
CBS News,
27 Jan. 2026
-
Industry experts note that rising food costs, value concerns and broader health trends, including new federal dietary guidelines recommending higher protein intake, are all influencing menus, too.—
Deirdre Bardolf,
FOXNews.com,
26 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Nevertheless, Ferguson appears to be an ascending passing-game weapon.—
Josh Shepardson,
Forbes.com,
23 Jan. 2026
-
Recurring parentheticals create nooks on the page, opening portals onto passing thoughts or faraway places (a balmy beach, a portside terrace), while forays into the present tense momentarily suspend narrative time with liveness and immediacy, particularly at moments of heightened emotion.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
22 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Steele briefly considered taking a year off and perhaps getting into broadcasting, but that notion didn’t last long.—
Tim Casey,
Forbes.com,
23 Jan. 2026
-
Doctors say not getting a vitamin K shot puts babies at risk of severe bleeding.—
Dr. Jade Cobern,
ABC News,
23 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
More than 130,000 outages were affecting utility customers are without power across the path of the storm as of Saturday evening.—
Jeanine Santucci,
USA Today,
25 Jan. 2026
-
In Dallas County, there were 17 outages, affecting nearly 150 customers, according to the utility’s outage map.—
Miriam Fauzia,
Dallas Morning News,
24 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The art market at large is still showing distress signals, with a spate of brick-and-mortar galleries closing, notable galleries pulling out of art fairs, and US tariffs heavily impacting costs.—
Jacqui Palumbo,
CNN Money,
27 Jan. 2026
-
Monday games in Atlanta and Charlotte were moved to the afternoon as the storm was still impacting travel throughout the region.—
Mike Fore,
Forbes.com,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The service The concierge team has a, ‘your wish is our command’ philosophy and pride themselves on impressing guests behind their wildest dreams.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
22 Jan. 2026
-
Strike a balance between impressing your friends with your culinary skills and tablescape prowess and outsourcing dishes and being flexible—no formal dining room necessary.—
Cameron Beall,
Southern Living,
11 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Reaching.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/reaching. Accessed 30 Jan. 2026.
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