The action of one who reaches; an attempt to grasp something by stretching.
"The child's outstretched arms showed her reaching for the toy on the high shelf."
In plain English: Reaching is the act of extending your arm to grab something that isn't within easy touch.
"The coach praised his team for their excellent reaching, noting how they got every ball out of play."
Usage: Use this noun only when referring specifically to the physical act or effort of extending your arm to touch or grab an object, such as a child's reaching for a toy. Avoid using it interchangeably with "reach" (the verb) or other abstract concepts like achieving success.
present participle of reach
"The child was reaching for the cookie jar on the top shelf."
In plain English: To reach means to move your hand out and touch something that is far away.
"The baby spent all afternoon practicing reaching for toys on the floor."
Reaching comes from Middle English forms derived from Old English words meaning "reaching." It entered modern usage as the standard present participle form of the verb reach.