Overreach

Quick meaning: Overreach is a verb meaning (ambitransitive) To reach above or beyond, especially to an excessive degree.

Meaning

(ambitransitive) To reach above or beyond, especially to an excessive degree.

More Meanings

1. (ambitransitive, figuratively) To do something beyond an appropriate limit, or beyond one's ability; to overextend.
2. (ambitransitive, reflexive, equestrianism) Of a horse: to strike the heel of a forefoot with the toe of a hindfoot.
3. (ambitransitive, now rare) To deceive, to swindle.
4. (intransitive, nautical) To sail on one tack farther than is necessary.
5. (transitive, archaic) To get the better of, especially by artifice or cunning; to outwit.
6. (also figuratively) An act of extending or reaching over, especially if too far or too much; overextension.
7. (equestrianism) Of a horse: an act of striking the heel of a forefoot with the toe of a hindfoot; an injury caused by this action.

Example Sentences

Writhing under his deficiency of means, he [William Hazlitt] struggled to supersede practice, overreach time, and bound at once to the conclusion.

Don't overreach when reaching for the function keys. This causes the finger tendons to stretch. Move your hand closer to the desired key before pressing it.

[...] I cannot forget what the poet Martial saith; "O quantum est subitis casibus ingenium!" signifying, that accident is many times more subtle than foresight, and overreacheth expectation; [...]

In September 1926, [...] he [Patrick Hepburn] overreached his strength in his walks over the mountains and passes of his beloved Lake district, suffered leg injuries, and "was found in an exhausted condition and taken to a neighboring inn."

Word Forms

• overreaches
• overreaching
• overreached
• overraught

Synonyms for overreach

Depending on context, synonyms include exceed, excel, forpass, outcompass, outstep, outstrip.

Related Words

Related dictionary entries include outsmart, outwit, outfox, circumvent, beat, overstep.

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