overreach
Americanverb (used with object)
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to reach or extend over or beyond.
The shelf overreached the nook and had to be planed down.
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to go beyond, as a thing aimed at or sought.
an arrow that had overreached the target.
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to stretch to excess, as by a straining effort.
to overreach one's arm and strain a muscle.
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to defeat (oneself ) by overdoing matters, often by excessive eagerness or cunning.
In trying to promote disunity he had overreached himself.
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to strain or exert (oneself or itself ) to the point of exceeding the purpose.
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to get the better of, especially by deceit or trickery; outwit.
Every time you deal with them you wonder if they're overreaching you.
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to overtake.
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Obsolete. to overpower.
verb (used without object)
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to reach or extend over something.
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to reach too far.
In grabbing for the rope he overreached and fell.
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to cheat others.
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(of a running or walking horse) to strike, or strike and injure, the forefoot with the hind foot.
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Nautical. to sail on a tack longer than is desirable or was intended; overstand.
verb
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(tr) to defeat or thwart (oneself) by attempting to do or gain too much
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(tr) to aim for but miss by going too far or attempting too much
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to get the better of (a person) by trickery
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(tr) to reach or extend beyond or over
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(intr) to reach or go too far
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(intr) (of a horse) to strike the back of a forefoot with the edge of the opposite hind foot
Other Word Forms
- overreacher noun
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.
White said he believes it’s an overreach to connect market performance to any single product release.
There's a reason this protest streak runs so hot in South Korea, which only became a democracy in the late 1980s and is well-acquainted with political interference, dictatorships and military overreach.
From BBC
Environmentalists have said that the ban will harm sustainability efforts and is an overreach by the meat and dairy industries.
From BBC
While Australia sees itself as a world leader in the online safety space, some tech companies, headquartered in other parts of the world, have long accused the country of overreach.
From BBC
Let’s Go Washington, a grassroots organization pushing against state government overreach, turned in a mountain of signatures for these initiatives.
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.
