overreach
Americanverb (used with object)
-
to reach or extend over or beyond.
The shelf overreached the nook and had to be planed down.
-
to go beyond, as a thing aimed at or sought.
an arrow that had overreached the target.
-
to stretch to excess, as by a straining effort.
to overreach one's arm and strain a muscle.
-
to defeat (oneself ) by overdoing matters, often by excessive eagerness or cunning.
In trying to promote disunity he had overreached himself.
-
to strain or exert (oneself or itself ) to the point of exceeding the purpose.
-
to get the better of, especially by deceit or trickery; outwit.
Every time you deal with them you wonder if they're overreaching you.
-
to overtake.
-
Obsolete. to overpower.
verb (used without object)
-
to reach or extend over something.
-
to reach too far.
In grabbing for the rope he overreached and fell.
-
to cheat others.
-
(of a running or walking horse) to strike, or strike and injure, the forefoot with the hind foot.
-
Nautical. to sail on a tack longer than is desirable or was intended; overstand.
verb
-
(tr) to defeat or thwart (oneself) by attempting to do or gain too much
-
(tr) to aim for but miss by going too far or attempting too much
-
to get the better of (a person) by trickery
-
(tr) to reach or extend beyond or over
-
(intr) to reach or go too far
-
(intr) (of a horse) to strike the back of a forefoot with the edge of the opposite hind foot
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
overreachsimple
-
overreachessimple
-
have overreachedperfect
-
has overreachedperfect
-
am overreachingprogressive
-
are overreachingprogressive
-
is overreachingprogressive
-
have been overreachingperfect progressive
-
has been overreachingperfect progressive
Past
-
overreachedsimple
-
had overreachedperfect
-
was overreachingprogressive
-
were overreachingprogressive
-
had been overreachingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of overreach
First recorded in 1300–50; over- + reach ( def. )
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
“He’s always been a fighter against federal regulatory overreach, and it’s clear for obvious reasons that he has an affinity for oil and gas, given its dominance in Texas,” Longanecker said.
From Salon ● Jul. 15, 2026
With the results prior to Monsanto, it seemed like the movement that was supposed to free private enterprise from regulatory overreach was also weakening the shield that regulatory power provided.
From Slate ● Jun. 25, 2026
Meta has reacted angrily, accusing the Commission of "regulatory overreach."
From BBC ● Jun. 9, 2026
The tale of Athenian overreach is better known today than its Spartan counterpart, largely because Thucydides, one of antiquity’s finest historians, captured it in his account of the Peloponnesian War, which began in 431 B.C.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 25, 2026
And he was also biding his time, waiting for Archie to overreach himself, to make a mistake.
From "The Chocolate War" by Robert Cormier
Chemerinsky said lower courts have consistently pushed back against the administration’s overreaches when it comes to protected speech, and he expects they will continue to do so.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 22, 2025
But when it overreaches, it undercuts what it claims to encourage.
From Salon ● May 13, 2025
If Mr Abiy overreaches, Saudi Arabia may feel obliged to overcome its wariness over the Eritrean President Isaias Afewerki, and support him.
From BBC ● Nov. 7, 2023
White works methodically toward a queenside break, but switches nimbly to the other flank when his opponent overreaches: 19. a4 g5?!
From Washington Times ● Oct. 3, 2023
Few of the overreaches, but not none: Cahokia was a glaring exception.
From "1491" by Charles C. Mann
They, too, overreached, invaded lands they couldn’t conquer or couldn’t control, and brought disasters down on their citizenries.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 25, 2026
Additionally, if the Supreme Court rules that Trump overreached his authority to implement tariffs under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, businesses could boost hiring in the expectation of reduced levies.
From Barron's ● Jan. 2, 2026
I returned the ball to her, but Gary overreached to poach it, driving a shot into Noah’s waiting forehand.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 23, 2025
In response, the airline industry sued the DOT, claiming it had overreached its authority.
From Seattle Times ● May 27, 2024
I tried to grasp a star, overreached, and fell.
From "A Dance with Dragons" by George R. R. Martin
It hardly seems as though there is room for any kind of overreaching music director.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 26, 2026
“Here we are two years later, and they’ve come pretty close to reshaping the Middle East,” said Shapiro, who emphasized Netanyahu is still at risk of overreaching and hubris.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 8, 2026
That makes it important for investors to distinguish between companies capable of handling the cycle and those overreaching.
From Barron's ● Dec. 3, 2025
In its response, Harvard said it did not "take lightly" its obligation to fight antisemitism but said the government was overreaching.
From BBC ● Apr. 14, 2025
When he left the house he drove rapidly to town, overreaching the slow sabbath groups and the peremptory bells along the broken air.
From "The Sound and the Fury" by William Faulkner
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
