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Reach Very Common

Reach has 16 different meanings across 3 categories:

Noun · Verb · Proper Noun

Definitions
Noun
1

the limits within which something can be effective

"range of motion"

"he was beyond the reach of their fire"

2

an area in which something acts or operates or has power or control: "the range of a supersonic jet"

"a piano has a greater range than the human voice"

"the ambit of municipal legislation"

"within the compass of this article"

"within the scope of an investigation"

"outside the reach of the law"

"in the political orbit of a world power"

3

the act of physically reaching or thrusting out

"She reached across the table to grab her coffee cup before it tipped over."

4

the limit of capability

"within the compass of education"

5

The act of stretching or extending; extension.

"He made an impressive reach across the table to grab the salt shaker before anyone else could get it."

In plain English: Reach is how far something can stretch out to touch another object.

"The reach of his voice was limited by how far he had to shout across the valley."

Verb
1

reach a destination, either real or abstract

"We hit Detroit by noon"

"The water reached the doorstep"

"We barely made it to the finish line"

"I have to hit the MAC machine before the weekend starts"

2

reach a point in time, or a certain state or level

"The thermometer hit 100 degrees"

"This car can reach a speed of 140 miles per hour"

3

move forward or upward in order to touch; also in a metaphorical sense

"Government reaches out to the people"

4

be in or establish communication with

"Our advertisements reach millions"

"He never contacted his children after he emigrated to Australia"

5

to gain with effort

"she achieved her goal despite setbacks"

6

to extend as far as

"The sunlight reached the wall"

"Can he reach?"

"The chair must not touch the wall"

7

reach a goal

"make the first team"

"We made it!"

"She may not make the grade"

8

place into the hands or custody of

"hand me the spoon, please"

"Turn the files over to me, please"

"He turned over the prisoner to his lawyers"

9

to exert much effort or energy

"straining our ears to hear"

10

To extend, stretch, or thrust out (for example a limb or object held in the hand).

"The cat stretched its paw to reach the bird perched on the fence."

In plain English: To reach means to stretch your arm out so you can touch something that is far away from you.

"She managed to reach across the table and grab her coffee cup before he could take it."

Usage: Use reach as an action verb when describing someone physically extending their arm to grasp something nearby. It is often confused with "grasp," but while grasping implies holding firmly, reaching simply means making contact within one's limit.

Proper Noun
1

Acronym of Registration, Evaluation and Authorisation of Chemicals.

"The REACH regulation requires companies to register their chemical substances before they can be used in the European Union market."

Example Sentences
"The reach of his voice was limited by how far he had to shout across the valley." noun
"She managed to reach across the table and grab her coffee cup before he could take it." verb
"She finally reached the top of the mountain after hours of climbing." verb
"Could you reach me on my cell phone when you get home?" verb
"The child tried to reach for the cookie jar but couldn't quite grab it." verb
See Also
stretch grab arm grasp extend action arms out
Related Terms
stretch grab arm grasp extend action arms out stretching grabbing arrive length high touch portion penetrate arm's length facilitator upreach attainment
Broader Terms (hypernyms)
limit extent motion capability arrive move communicate succeed be achieve transfer tug
Narrower Terms (hyponyms)
earshot view rifle range approximate range confines contrast internationality latitude horizon sweep gamut spectrum palette outreach sight catch up scale access bottom out top out summit top make find culminate get through ground max out break even ping raise score reach begin come to compass average wangle reach into give slip deal hand over release entrust extend oneself kill oneself trouble oneself

Origin

The word "reach" comes from Old English rǣċan and originally meant to extend or grasp something. It traveled into modern usage with this same core meaning of extending one's arm or influence toward a goal.

Rhyming Words
ach bach hach rach tach lach mach zach nach coach trach poach peach leach loach beach roach meach hrach vlach
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