reach

/ritʃ/

/ritʃ/

Other forms: reached; reaching; reaches

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.”

Definitions of reach
  1. verb
    move forward or upward in order to touch; also in a metaphorical sense
    “Government reaches out to the people”
    synonyms: reach out
    see moresee less
    type of:
    move
    move so as to change position, perform a nontranslational motion
  2. verb
    to extend as far as
    “The sunlight reached the wall”
    synonyms: extend to, touch
    see moresee less
    types:
    reach into
    run into or up to
    type of:
    be
    occupy a certain position or area; be somewhere
  3. verb
    reach a destination, either real or abstract
    “The water reached the doorstep”
    synonyms: arrive at, attain, gain, hit, make
    make
    reach in time
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    types:
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    catch up
    reach the point where one should be after a delay
    scale, surmount
    reach the highest point of
    access, get at
    reach or gain access to
    bottom out
    reach the low point
    peak, top out
    to reach the highest point; attain maximum intensity, activity
    breast, summit
    reach the summit (of a mountain)
    top
    reach or ascend the top of
    make
    reach in time
    find
    succeed in reaching; arrive at
    culminate
    reach the highest altitude or the meridian, of a celestial body
    come through, get through
    succeed in reaching a real or abstract destination after overcoming problems
    ground, run aground
    hit or reach the ground
    come back
    even the score, in sports
    crest
    reach a high point
  4. verb
    be in or establish communication with
    “Our advertisements reach millions”
    synonyms: contact, get hold of, get through
    see moresee less
    types:
    ping
    send a message from one computer to another to check whether it is reachable and active
    ping
    contact, usually in order to remind of something
    raise
    establish radio communications with
    type of:
    communicate, intercommunicate
    transmit thoughts or feelings
  5. noun
    the act of physically reaching or thrusting out
    synonyms: reaching, stretch
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    types:
    outreach
    the act of reaching out
    type of:
    motility, motion, move, movement
    a change of position that does not entail a change of location
  6. verb
    reach a point in time, or a certain state or level
    “This car can reach a speed of 140 miles per hour”
    synonyms: attain, hit
    see moresee less
    types:
    max out
    reach a maximum
    break even
    attain a level at which there is neither gain nor loss, as in business, gambling, or a competitive sport
    type of:
    arrive, come, get
    reach a destination; arrive by movement or progress
  7. verb
    to gain with effort
    synonyms: accomplish, achieve, attain
    see moresee less
    types:
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    score
    get a certain number or letter indicating quality or performance
    get to, make, progress to
    reach a goal, e.g., "make the first team"
    begin
    achieve or accomplish in the least degree, usually used in the negative
    come to, strike
    attain
    culminate
    reach the highest or most decisive point
    compass
    bring about; accomplish
    average
    achieve or reach on average
    finagle, manage, wangle, wrangle
    achieve something by means of trickery or devious methods
    test
    achieve a certain score or rating on a test
    type of:
    bring home the bacon, come through, deliver the goods, succeed, win
    attain success or reach a desired goal
  8. verb
    reach a goal, e.g., "make the first team"
    synonyms: get to, make, progress to
    see moresee less
    type of:
    accomplish, achieve, attain
    gain with effort
  9. verb
    to exert much effort or energy
    synonyms: strain, strive
    see moresee less
    types:
    extend oneself
    strain to the utmost
    kill oneself, overexert oneself
    strain oneself more than is healthy
    bother, inconvenience oneself, trouble, trouble oneself
    take the trouble to do something; concern oneself
    type of:
    drive, labor, labour, push, tug
    strive and make an effort to reach a goal
  10. noun
    the limits within which something can be effective
    “he was beyond the reach of their fire”
    synonyms: range
    see moresee less
    types:
    earreach, earshot, hearing
    the range within which a voice can be heard
    eyeshot, view
    the range of the eye
    rifle range, rifle shot
    the distance that a rifle bullet will carry
    type of:
    limit
    as far as something can go
  11. noun
    an area in which something acts or operates or has power or control: "the range of a supersonic jet"
    “outside the reach of the law”
    synonyms: ambit, compass, orbit, range, scope
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    types:
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    approximate range, ballpark
    near to the scope or range of something
    confines, pale
    a bounded scope
    contrast
    the range of optical density and tone on a photographic negative or print (or the extent to which adjacent areas on a television screen differ in brightness)
    internationalism, internationality
    quality of being international in scope
    latitude
    scope for freedom of e.g. action or thought; freedom from restriction
    horizon, purview, view
    the range of interest or activity that can be anticipated
    expanse, sweep
    a wide scope
    gamut
    a complete extent or range: "a face that expressed a gamut of emotions"
    spectrum
    a broad range of related objects, values, qualities, ideas, or activities
    palette, pallet
    the range of colour characteristic of a particular artist or painting or school of art
    type of:
    extent
    the distance or area or volume over which something extends
  12. noun
    the limit of capability
    synonyms: compass, grasp, range
    see moresee less
    types:
    ken, sight
    the range of vision
    type of:
    capability, capableness, potentiality
    an aptitude that may be developed
  13. verb
    place into the hands or custody of
    synonyms: give, hand, pass, pass on, turn over
    see moresee less
    types:
    show 15 types...
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    give
    leave with; give temporarily
    slip, sneak
    pass on stealthily
    deal
    give (a specific card) to a player
    deliver, fork out, fork over, fork up, hand over, render, turn in
    to surrender someone or something to another
    free, give up, release, relinquish, resign
    part with a possession or right
    commit, confide, entrust, intrust, trust
    confer a trust upon
    entrust, leave
    put into the care or protection of someone
    commend
    give to in charge
    derequisition
    release from government control
    bail
    deliver something in trust to somebody for a special purpose and for a limited period
    give away
    formally hand over to the bridegroom in marriage; of a bride by her father
    give, sacrifice
    endure the loss of
    charge, consign
    give over to another for care or safekeeping
    recommit
    commit again
    obligate
    commit in order to fulfill an obligation
    type of:
    transfer
    cause to change ownership
Pronunciation
US

/ritʃ/
UK

/ritʃ/
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DISCLAIMER: These example sentences appear in various news sources and books to reflect the usage of the word ‘reach'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Vocabulary.com or its editors. Send us feedback
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