overreach

[ oh-ver-reech ]

verb (used with object)

1. to reach or extend over or beyond:

   The shelf overreached the nook and had to be planed down.

2. to go beyond, as a thing aimed at or sought:

   an arrow that had overreached the target.

3. to stretch to excess, as by a straining effort:

   to overreach one's arm and strain a muscle.

4. to defeat (oneself ) by overdoing matters, often by excessive eagerness or cunning:

   In trying to promote disunity he had overreached himself.

5. to strain or exert (oneself or itself ) to the point of exceeding the purpose.
6. to get the better of, especially by deceit or trickery; outwit:

   Every time you deal with them you wonder if they're overreaching you.

7. to overtake.
8. Obsolete. to overpower.

verb (used without object)

1. to reach or extend over something.
2. to reach too far:

   In grabbing for the rope he overreached and fell.

3. to cheat others.
4. (of a running or walking horse) to strike, or strike and injure, the forefoot with the hind foot.
5. Nautical. to sail on a tack longer than is desirable or was intended; overstand.

overreach

/ ˌəʊvəˈriːtʃ /

verb

1. tr to defeat or thwart (oneself) by attempting to do or gain too much
2. tr to aim for but miss by going too far or attempting too much
3. to get the better of (a person) by trickery
4. tr to reach or extend beyond or over
5. intr to reach or go too far
6. intr (of a horse) to strike the back of a forefoot with the edge of the opposite hind foot

Other Words From

• over·reacher noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of overreach¹

First recorded in 1300–50; over- + reach ( def )

Example Sentences

There are limits to what we can do and there were terrible consequences for overreaching those limits.

From Washington Blade

With the changes, consumers become more aware of which companies want access to their data, while Apple can claim it’s protecting users from overreaching companies.

From Time

There's more unity around the need to go after foreign extremists than domestic ones — and less danger of overreaching and provoking a backlash.

From Axios

Both groups lasted significantly longer on the treadmill after the one-week taper, which tells us that they weren’t non-functionally overreached.

From Outside Online

Sure enough, the runners classified as overreaching had a significantly higher proportion of fast-twitch fibers.

From Outside Online

The danger of a potential Republican overreach or overreaction was clearly on the minds of people in both parties Wednesday.

From The Daily Beast

This entire ordeal reeks of bureaucratic overreach being bandied about in the name of “let-us-save-the-children” politics.

From The Daily Beast

Second is the sense of a deep invasion of privacy and government overreach in their lives.

From The Daily Beast

But U.S. intelligence officials say the secret to defeating ISIS may be to wait for its overreach to catch up with it.

From The Daily Beast

At a recent forum, Pompeo said that the president had engaged in “absolute overreach.”

From The Daily Beast

It does not anywhere appear that Johann ever attempted to overreach him or lead him to financial injury.

From Project Gutenberg

Then said she, 'As to the enchantments and spells that shall overreach him, and as to the blade wherewith to shear him?'

From Project Gutenberg

You are very wise, you have the wisdom of a devil, but even you can overreach yourself.

From Project Gutenberg

It is not an uncommon occurrence for a rascal to overreach himself.

From Project Gutenberg

Traveling expenses to Kansas, and the tracts, make the debtor column overreach the creditor some two thousand dollars.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• overdo