reach
Americanverb (used with object)
-
reaches,
present (3rd person singular)
-
reached,
past participle, past
-
reaching
present participle
-
to get to or get as far as in moving, going, traveling, etc..
The boat reached the shore.
- Synonyms:
- attain
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to come to or arrive at in some course of progress, action, etc..
Your letter never reached me.
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to succeed in touching or seizing with an outstretched hand, a pole, etc..
to reach a book on a high shelf.
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to stretch or hold out; extend.
reaching out a hand in greeting.
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to stretch or extend so as to touch or meet.
The bookcase reaches the ceiling.
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to establish communication with.
I called but couldn't reach you.
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to amount to, as in the sum or total.
The cost will reach millions.
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to penetrate to.
distant stars the eye cannot reach.
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to succeed in striking or hitting, as with a weapon or missile.
The artillery fire reached the shore.
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to succeed in making contact with, influencing, impressing, interesting, convincing, etc..
a program that reached a large teenage audience.
verb (used without object)
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reaches,
present (3rd person singular)
-
reached,
past participle, past
-
reaching
present participle
-
to make a stretch, as with the hand or arm.
-
to become outstretched, as the hand or arm.
-
to make a movement or effort as if to touch or seize something.
to reach for a weapon.
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to extend in operation or effect.
power that reaches throughout the land.
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to stretch in space; extend in direction, length, distance, etc..
a coat reaching to the knee;
a tower reaching to the skies.
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to extend or continue in time.
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to get or come to a specified place, person, condition, etc. (often followed byto ).
-
to amount (often followed byto ).
sums reaching to a considerable total.
-
to penetrate.
Fields of flowers extended as far as the eye could reach.
-
to assert or agree without certainty or sufficient evidence; infer hastily.
I'd be reaching if I said I had the answer to your question.
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Nautical.
-
to sail on a reach.
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to sail with the wind forward of the beam but so as not to require sailing close-hauled.
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noun
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reaches
plural
-
an act or instance of reaching.
to make a reach for a gun.
-
the extent or distance of reaching.
within reach of his voice.
-
range of effective action, power, or capacity.
-
a continuous stretch or extent of something.
a reach of woodland.
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Also called pound. a level portion of a canal, between locks.
-
Nautical. a point of sailing in which the wind is within a few points of the beam, either forward of the beam close reach, directly abeam beam reach, or abaft the beam broad reach.
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the pole connecting the rear axle of a wagon to the transverse bar or bolster over the front axle supporting the wagon bed.
-
a straight portion of a river between two bends.
verb
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(tr) to arrive at or get to (a place, person, etc) in the course of movement or action
to reach the office
-
to extend as far as (a point or place)
to reach the ceiling
can you reach?
-
(tr) to come to (a certain condition, stage, or situation)
to reach the point of starvation
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(intr) to extend in influence or operation
the Roman conquest reached throughout England
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informal (tr) to pass or give (something to a person) with the outstretched hand
to reach someone a book
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(intr; foll by out, for, or after) to make a movement (towards), as if to grasp or touch
to reach for something on a shelf
-
(intr; foll by for or after) to strive or yearn
to reach for the impossible
-
(tr) to make contact or communication with (someone)
we tried to reach him all day
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(tr) to strike, esp in fencing or boxing
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(tr) to amount to (a certain sum)
to reach the five million mark
-
(intr) nautical to sail on a tack with the wind on or near abeam
noun
-
the act of reaching
-
the extent or distance of reaching
within reach of safety
beyond her reach
-
the range of influence, power, jurisdiction, etc
-
an open stretch of water, esp on a river
-
nautical the direction or distance sailed by a vessel on one tack
-
a bar on the rear axle of a vehicle connecting it with some part at the front end
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television radio the percentage of the population selecting a broadcast programme or channel for more than a specified time during a day or week
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marketing the proportion of a market that an advertiser hopes to reach at least once in a campaign
Usage
What is a basic definition of reach? Reach means to arrive at, to extend, or to touch by stretching toward something. Reach has many other senses as a verb and a noun. If you reach somewhere, you successfully arrive there. If you reached the bank by noon, for example, you managed to get to the bank by noon. The word reach often implies lengthy travel or that the journey had some challenges along the way. Reach can also be used figuratively to mean someone achieved a position or got to a certain state. For example, a child reaches adulthood when they turn 18.
- Real-life examples: The sun’s rays reach the Earth after traveling through space. Baby turtles must navigate the dangers of the beach before they reach the water. Students may need to run quickly to reach the school bus before it leaves.
- Used in a sentence: Lana reached a dark point in her life where nothing seemed to matter.
- Real-life examples: Plants reach toward the sky to gather more sunlight. You reach your hand out in order to give someone a handshake. A cat’s fur will reach up when they are scared.
- Used in a sentence: The police ordered the criminal to reach his hands into the air.
- Real-life examples: You might need a ladder in order to reach something stuck on your roof. Giraffes have long necks that make it easy for them to reach leaves high in the trees. Grocery stores put sugary snacks on lower shelves so that children can reach them.
- Used in a sentence: Erin was too short to reach the cereal on the top shelf.
Synonym Usage
See grasp.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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reachsimple
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reachessimple
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have reachedperfect
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has reachedperfect
-
am reachingprogressive
-
are reachingprogressive
-
is reachingprogressive
-
have been reachingperfect progressive
-
has been reachingperfect progressive
Past
-
reachedsimple
-
had reachedperfect
-
was reachingprogressive
-
were reachingprogressive
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had been reachingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of reach
First recorded before 900; Middle English verb rechen, Old English rǣcan (cognate with German reichen, Dutch reiken ); noun derivative of the verb
Explanation
To reach is to stretch toward something, arrive at a destination, or contact someone. You might reach for a bottle of water after you reach the finish line, then reach out to a friend who can give you a ride home. Tall people often have a really long reach – they can practically grab something from across the room. If you do what your dad says long after he’s gone, his reach is long lasting. You can reach for a glass on a high shelf or reach the age you can get your driver's license. When people reach out, they try to make a connection, like an old phone company’s slogan: “Reach out and touch someone.”
Vocabulary lists containing reach
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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:
Yamamoto then got a soft grounder out of Fernando Tatís Jr. But it was too soft, giving Tatís time to reach first before third baseman Max Muncy could get off a throw.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 24, 2026
For some of them, where there were already pending habeas proceedings, for example, I would reach out to opposing counsel to see if they had any knowledge as to where my client was.
From Slate ● Sep. 24, 2026
In the lead-up to the contest with Craig Bellamy's side, the Al-Nassr forward also targeted the 21 goals needed to reach that magical 1,000 mark.
From BBC ● Sep. 23, 2026
While most common infections do not directly reach a developing fetus, these pathogens can sometimes cross the placenta and cause a congenital infection.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 23, 2026
Laughing, Torak lunged for him, but Wolf dodged out of his reach, then spun round in mid-air and bowed down with his tail curled over his back.
From "Wolf Brother" by Michelle Paver
The magic of compound interest allows Michael’s additional savings over that five-year period to add around $1 million or more to his retirement account by the time he reaches age 65.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 22, 2026
For the first time in history, a creator anywhere in the world can tell a story that reaches everyone, and now it can come from anywhere.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 22, 2026
When it reaches the surface, the chemical potential is converted into kinetic energy, giving the muonium atom a boost that sends it vertically upward.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 18, 2026
After drinking a cup of coffee, it is absorbed into the bloodstream, where it quickly reaches the brain.
From BBC ● Sep. 17, 2026
Papa reaches into the pocket of his woolen suit jacket, where he stashes sesame sweets and hard candies, and pulls out some for all of us.
From "Across So Many Seas" by Ruth Behar
Generac shares soared last week after it reached a long-term deal to supply generators to Amazon.com for its data centers.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 24, 2026
Only Will Smith reached base, on a walk, and advanced to third on defensive indifference.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 24, 2026
Harrowing reached the narrative conclusion into Kitchen's death at a hearing at Avon Coroners' Court earlier.
From BBC ● Sep. 23, 2026
In some regions, the increase reached as much as 5 days per year.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 23, 2026
The young woman’s face was white as chalk; twice before they reached the car, I thought she would faint.
From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom
Americans’ anger with fraud in the job search is reaching a fever pitch.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 23, 2026
Since 2010, shifts in cloud patterns have reduced the amount of sunlight reaching some areas of the Arctic Ocean.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 23, 2026
“I’ve met Susan Collins. You can get access to Susan Collins. Once we got the first things working with Maine, then we said, ‘Well, let’s keep reaching.’
From Salon ● Sep. 23, 2026
This will allow warm air to hold on here with temperatures reaching the mid-20s Celsius but elsewhere highs of 14-20C are expected, around the average for this time of year.
From BBC ● Sep. 22, 2026
Her crown flowers are tipped in magenta, the stalks reaching high above my head.
From "Clairboyance" by Kristiana Kahakauwila
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.
