1
as in hands
to shift possession of (something) from one person to another
would you reach me the potatoes, please?
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in contacts
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 affects
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
as in rank
the placement of someone or something in relation to others in a vertical arrangement
there are still only a few women in the upper reaches of the profession
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of reaches
Blake Farmer, Miami Herald, 13 Jan. 2026
Her mom then tries to follow suit, but Christiansen reaches over to gently slap her on the head to stop her from kissing the baby.
—Hannah Sacks, PEOPLE, 13 Jan. 2026
Martin has been thinking about Strava as a business that reaches across generations.
—Allie Garfinkle, Fortune, 13 Jan. 2026
By the time anything reaches a sewer system, it’s diluted and broken down, so the water itself isn’t a risk.
—Evan Moore, Charlotte Observer, 13 Jan. 2026
The building will be built into a 40-foot hill, so the height will vary but reaches about 109 feet, or eight stories, on one end.
—Chris Higgins, Kansas City Star, 12 Jan. 2026
Shanahan reaches deep into the playbook The 49ers seemed dead in the water after losing George Kittle to an Achilles injury in the first half.
—Chris Biderman, Sacbee.com, 12 Jan. 2026
When that signal reaches the interface between neurons, voltage-sensitive channels open wide, triggering the release of neurotransmitters to more neurons downstream.
—Elise Cutts, Quanta Magazine, 12 Jan. 2026
Fears are growing that the number of protesters killed by Iranian security forces now reaches into the thousands.
—Karl Vick, Time, 12 Jan. 2026
Ava Wallace, Washington Post, 8 Jan. 2026
For years, residents living amid the tracts of suburban sprawl and bucolic farmland along Santa Clara County’s southern reaches often traveled upwards of an hour by car to seek cardiac care in San Jose.
—Grace Hase, Mercury News, 7 Jan. 2026
A day earlier, another deadly motorcycle accident took place in the northern reaches of the San Diego area.
—City News Service, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Jan. 2026
After languishing on the market for over a year, Los Angeles Dodgers star Freddie Freeman has finally managed to offload his modern farmhouse-style residence in the far western reaches of Studio City.
—Wendy Bowman, Robb Report, 3 Jan. 2026
With all its starts and stops, twists and turns, reaches and lunges, pickleball is busting the Medicare bank, with a few hundred million dollars’ worth of injuries each year.
—Steve Lopez, Los Angeles Times, 1 Jan. 2026
But the Christmas cheer is spread elsewhere in the top 10 with seven holiday albums occupying the upper reaches of the tally.
—Steven J. Horowitz, Variety, 29 Dec. 2025
The residential upper reaches of the village, along the Moyenne and the Grand Corniches (the trio of coastal roads that cut through Villefranche), are connected by a series of staircases.
—Chrissie McClatchie, Travel + Leisure, 21 Dec. 2025
States in the upper and lower reaches of the basin have struggled for two years to find a workable agreement and failed.
—Austin Corona, AZCentral.com, 6 Nov. 2025
Verb
An albino raccoon named Cricket reaches through the wires of its cage to grab an animal cracker, an appetizer treat right before the evening meal.
—Blake Farmer, Miami Herald, 13 Jan. 2026
Her mom then tries to follow suit, but Christiansen reaches over to gently slap her on the head to stop her from kissing the baby.
—Hannah Sacks, PEOPLE, 13 Jan. 2026
Martin has been thinking about Strava as a business that reaches across generations.
—Allie Garfinkle, Fortune, 13 Jan. 2026
By the time anything reaches a sewer system, it’s diluted and broken down, so the water itself isn’t a risk.
—Evan Moore, Charlotte Observer, 13 Jan. 2026
The building will be built into a 40-foot hill, so the height will vary but reaches about 109 feet, or eight stories, on one end.
—Chris Higgins, Kansas City Star, 12 Jan. 2026
Shanahan reaches deep into the playbook The 49ers seemed dead in the water after losing George Kittle to an Achilles injury in the first half.
—Chris Biderman, Sacbee.com, 12 Jan. 2026
When that signal reaches the interface between neurons, voltage-sensitive channels open wide, triggering the release of neurotransmitters to more neurons downstream.
—Elise Cutts, Quanta Magazine, 12 Jan. 2026
Fears are growing that the number of protesters killed by Iranian security forces now reaches into the thousands.
—Karl Vick, Time, 12 Jan. 2026
Noun
Some of these skew toward the quirkier side, and a couple are blatant reaches (January wish lists are where our most delirious aspirations belong, after all).
—Ava Wallace, Washington Post, 8 Jan. 2026
For years, residents living amid the tracts of suburban sprawl and bucolic farmland along Santa Clara County’s southern reaches often traveled upwards of an hour by car to seek cardiac care in San Jose.
—Grace Hase, Mercury News, 7 Jan. 2026
A day earlier, another deadly motorcycle accident took place in the northern reaches of the San Diego area.
—City News Service, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Jan. 2026
After languishing on the market for over a year, Los Angeles Dodgers star Freddie Freeman has finally managed to offload his modern farmhouse-style residence in the far western reaches of Studio City.
—Wendy Bowman, Robb Report, 3 Jan. 2026
With all its starts and stops, twists and turns, reaches and lunges, pickleball is busting the Medicare bank, with a few hundred million dollars’ worth of injuries each year.
—Steve Lopez, Los Angeles Times, 1 Jan. 2026
But the Christmas cheer is spread elsewhere in the top 10 with seven holiday albums occupying the upper reaches of the tally.
—Steven J. Horowitz, Variety, 29 Dec. 2025
The residential upper reaches of the village, along the Moyenne and the Grand Corniches (the trio of coastal roads that cut through Villefranche), are connected by a series of staircases.
—Chrissie McClatchie, Travel + Leisure, 21 Dec. 2025
States in the upper and lower reaches of the basin have struggled for two years to find a workable agreement and failed.
—Austin Corona, AZCentral.com, 6 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for reaches
Verb
-
Instead, someone hands me a wooden pole with a piece of foam taped around one end and mimes poking the machine in its chest.—
James Vincent,
Harpers Magazine,
30 Dec. 2025
-
In the video, the person hands a high-velocity Ball Bearing (BB) gun to his robot, Max, and asks it to shoot him.—
Jijo Malayil,
Interesting Engineering,
12 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
When a debt collection agency first contacts you, they're legally required to send a validation notice within five days.—
Angelica Leicht,
CBS News,
19 Dec. 2025
-
Every positive test goes to a Medical Review Officer — a physician who contacts the donor to determine whether there’s a legitimate medical explanation.—
David Hudnall,
Kansas City Star,
10 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
Bird flu, a highly contagious airborne respiratory virus, affects poultry — including chickens, ducks and turkeys — and some wild bird species, including geese and shorebirds, the department said.—
Laura Fay,
CBS News,
11 Jan. 2026
-
Kalani has hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy, a form of brain injury that affects muscle tone and mobility.—
Eva Remijan-Toba,
Chicago Tribune,
10 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
That's not to mention the lower ranks where teams like James Madison or Tulane might find their way into the 12-team field, only to get obliterated in the playoff and lose their coaches and half their players to Power Five schools along the way.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
8 Jan. 2026
-
On Tuesday, Cuba released their names, ranks and ages.—
Louis Casiano,
FOXNews.com,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The play had Gwath inbounding on the far sideline to BJ Davis, who passes to Miles Byrd at the top of the key.—
Mark Zeigler,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
7 Jan. 2026
-
The morning drive host on 680 The Fan caught passes from Ryan for three years.—
Tyler Estep,
AJC.com,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
While not everyone gets their wishes, those with no interest in taking on the deceptive — and challenging — role of a Traitor likely won't be chosen.—
Jordana Comiter,
PEOPLE,
9 Jan. 2026
-
Ole Miss gets one more possession, starting at its 31, with 55 seconds left in the first half.—
Jordan McPherson,
Miami Herald,
9 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Higgs delivered in the way that Streets expect from a player who continually impresses his coaches with his maturity.—
Steve Millar,
Chicago Tribune,
12 Jan. 2026
-
What impresses Lanthimos most is Plemons’ willingness to relinquish control.—
Clayton Davis,
Variety,
12 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The blackout slashed internet access to a fraction of normal levels on the 13th day of the protests as rights groups, including Amensty International, accused the regime of using lethal force against protesters.—
Emma Bussey,
FOXNews.com,
11 Jan. 2026
-
What's more, this door alarm features three sensitivity levels and emits a loud, shrill sound that will instantly scare an intruder away.—
Stephanie Gray,
Travel + Leisure,
11 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Reaches.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/reaches. Accessed 15 Jan. 2026.
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