overreach

verb over·reach \ ˌō-vər-ˈrēch , ˌō-və- \

Updated on: 9 Dec 2017

Definition of overreach

transitive verb

1 : to reach above or beyond : overtop

2 : to defeat (oneself) by seeking to do or gain too much

3 : to get the better of especially in dealing and bargaining and typically by unscrupulous or crafty methods

intransitive verb

1 of a horse : to strike the forefoot with the front part of the hind foot

2 a : to go to excess

b : exaggerate

3 : to overreach oneself

—

overreach

play \ˈō-vər-ˌrēch, ˈō-və-, ˌō-vər-ˈrēch, ˌō-və-\ noun

—

overreacher

play \ˈō-vər-ˌrē-chər, ˈō-və-, ˌō-vər-ˈrē-chər, ˌō-və-\ noun

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Examples of overreach in a Sentence

She overreaches in her latest book, and her argument is not convincing.
The company overreached itself and ran out of money after one year.

Recent Examples of overreach from the Web

His administration had argued that past presidents had overreached in their application of the Antiquities Act, a 1906 law passed during the presidency of Theodore Roosevelt, which allows presidents to create national monuments from federal lands.

— benjamin hart, Daily Intelligencer, "Leaked Memo: Secretary of the Interior to Recommend Shrinking 4 National Monuments," 18 Sep. 2017
Cadden and Chin’s attorneys have said prosecutors overreached with the murder charges and that the men never intended to hurt anyone.

— alana durkin richer, Detroit Free Press, "Pharmacist in deadly meningitis outbreak is heading to trial," 17 Sep. 2017
Especially when the governor overreaches his authority and breaks the law.

— joseph gerth, The Courier-Journal, "Why you shouldn't let imperial Gov. Matt Bevin pick the attorney general | Joseph Gerth," 15 Sep. 2017
Good for our continued debate over government overreach and defensible torture?

— matt patches, Esquire, "Watch All 362 James Bond Kills in One Epic Supercut," 9 Oct. 2015
With any Kubrick work, there’s a magisterial sense of control and overreach present in every frame, an approach that helped make him the (sometimes clichéd) embodiment of the auteur filmmaker.

— david sims, The Atlantic, "The Alien Majesty of Kubrick's Barry Lyndon," 26 Oct. 2017
Lloyd, whose campaign finance report was not online as of Friday, said she is concerned about federal government overreach into education at all levels and worried about Maryland schools failing to prepare children for life after graduation.

— jenna portnoy, Washington Post, "GOP sees rare pick up opportunity in Maryland, with open seat in purplish district," 23 Oct. 2017
This in turn led, outrageously, to the claims of executive overreach that have dogged DACA ever since.

— alex shephard, New Republic, "Trump’s Repeal of DACA Is the GOP’s Pathology in a Nutshell," 6 Sep. 2017
By that standard, this week’s peaceful protests—which led to Mr. Duda’s U-turn—show Polish democracy is resisting PiS’s overreach.

— the editorial board, WSJ, "Judging Poland’s Democracy," 19 July 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'overreach.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of overreach

14th century

overreach Synonyms

Synonyms

fox, outfox, outmaneuver, outslick, outsmart, outthink, outwit

Related Words

outguess, second-guess; baffle, balk, circumvent, foil, frustrate, thwart; cozen, deceive, dupe, fool, gull, trick; conquer, defeat, lick, overcome; bar, block, hinder, impede, obstruct

OVERREACH Defined for English Language Learners

overreach

verb

Definition of overreach for English Language Learners

: to try to do something that is beyond your ability to do

Medical Dictionary

overreach

intransitive verb over·reach \ -ˈrēch \

medical Definition of overreach

of a horse

: to strike the toe of the hind foot against the heel or quarter of the forefoot

Law Dictionary

overreach

transitive verb over·reach \ ˌō-vər-ˈrēch \

legal Definition of overreach

: to make (someone or something) the subject of overreaching

this uncounseled defendant was…overreached by the prosecution's submission of misinformation to the court
—Townsend v. Burke, 334 U.S. 736 (1948)

must determine whether it overreached privilege
—National Law Journal

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OVERREACH Defined for English Language Learners

overreach

Definition of overreach for English Language Learners

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medical Definition of overreach

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overreach

legal Definition of overreach

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