REACH

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does reach mean? 

• REACH (noun)
  The noun REACH has 4 senses:

1. the limits within which something can be effective

2. an area in which something acts or operates or has power or control:

3. the act of physically reaching or thrusting out

4. the limit of capability

  Familiarity information: REACH used as a noun is uncommon.

• REACH (verb)
  The verb REACH has 9 senses:

1. reach a destination, either real or abstract

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

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

4. be in or establish communication with

5. to gain with effort

6. to extend as far as

7. reach a goal

8. place into the hands or custody of

9. to exert much effort or energy

  Familiarity information: REACH used as a verb is familiar.

 Dictionary entry details 

• REACH (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

The limits within which something can be effective

Classified under:

Nouns denoting spatial position

Synonyms:

range; reach

Context example:

he was beyond the reach of their fire

Hypernyms ("reach" is a kind of...):

limit (as far as something can go)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "reach"):

rifle range; rifle shot (the distance that a rifle bullet will carry)

eyeshot; view (the range of the eye)

earreach; earshot; hearing (the range within which a voice can be heard)

Derivation:

reach (to extend as far as)

Sense 2

Meaning:

An area in which something acts or operates or has power or control:

Classified under:

Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects

Synonyms:

ambit; compass; orbit; range; reach; scope

Context example:

in the political orbit of a world power

Hypernyms ("reach" is a kind of...):

extent (the distance or area or volume over which something extends)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "reach"):

approximate range; ballpark (near to the scope or range of something)

confines (a bounded scope)

contrast (the range of optical density and tone on a photographic negative or print (or the extent to which adjacent areas on a television screen differ in brightness))

internationalism; internationality (quality of being international in scope)

latitude (scope for freedom of e.g. action or thought; freedom from restriction)

horizon; purview; view (the range of interest or activity that can be anticipated)

expanse; sweep (a wide scope)

gamut (a complete extent or range:)

spectrum (a broad range of related objects or values or qualities or ideas or activities)

palette; pallet (the range of colour characteristic of a particular artist or painting or school of art)

Sense 3

Meaning:

The act of physically reaching or thrusting out

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Synonyms:

reach; reaching; stretch

Hypernyms ("reach" is a kind of...):

motility; motion; move; movement (a change of position that does not entail a change of location)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "reach"):

outreach (the act of reaching out)

Derivation:

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

Sense 4

Meaning:

The limit of capability

Classified under:

Nouns denoting cognitive processes and contents

Synonyms:

compass; grasp; range; reach

Context example:

within the compass of education

Hypernyms ("reach" is a kind of...):

capability; capableness; potentiality (an aptitude that may be developed)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "reach"):

ken; sight (the range of vision)

• REACH (verb)

Conjugation:

Sense 1

Meaning:

Reach a destination, either real or abstract

Classified under:

Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

Synonyms:

arrive at; attain; gain; hit; make; reach

Context example:

I have to hit the MAC machine before the weekend starts

"Reach" entails doing...:

go; locomote; move; travel (change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically)

Verb group:

make (reach in time)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "reach"):

access; get at (reach or gain access to)

ground; run aground (hit or reach the ground)

come through; get through (succeed in reaching a real or abstract destination after overcoming problems)

culminate (reach the highest altitude or the meridian, of a celestial body)

find (succeed in reaching; arrive at)

make (reach in time)

breast; summit (reach the summit (of a mountain))

peak; top out (to reach the highest point; attain maximum intensity, activity)

bottom out (reach the low point)

scale; surmount (reach the highest point of)

catch up (reach the point where one should be after a delay)

top (reach or ascend the top of)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Sentence example:

They reach the hill

Sense 2

Meaning:

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

Classified under:

Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

Synonyms:

attain; hit; reach

Context example:

This car can reach a speed of 140 miles per hour

Hypernyms (to "reach" is one way to...):

arrive; come; get (reach a destination; arrive by movement or progress)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "reach"):

max out (reach a maximum)

break even (attain a level at which there is neither gain nor loss, as in business, gambling, or a competitive sport)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something

Sense 3

Meaning:

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

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Synonyms:

reach; reach out

Context example:

Government reaches out to the people

Hypernyms (to "reach" is one way to...):

move (move so as to change position, perform a nontranslational motion)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s PP

Also:

reach out (attempt to communicate)

Derivation:

reach; reaching (the act of physically reaching or thrusting out)

Sense 4

Meaning:

Be in or establish communication with

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Synonyms:

contact; get hold of; get through; reach

Context example:

He never contacted his children after he emigrated to Australia

Hypernyms (to "reach" is one way to...):

communicate; intercommunicate (transmit thoughts or feelings)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "reach"):

ping (send a message from one computer to another to check whether it is reachable and active)

ping (contact, usually in order to remind of something)

raise (establish radio communications with)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s somebody
Something ----s somebody

Sense 5

Meaning:

To gain with effort

Classified under:

Verbs of political and social activities and events

Synonyms:

accomplish; achieve; attain; reach

Context example:

she achieved her goal despite setbacks

Hypernyms (to "reach" is one way to...):

bring home the bacon; come through; deliver the goods; succeed; win (attain success or reach a desired goal)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "reach"):

score (get a certain number or letter indicating quality or performance)

get to; make; progress to; reach (reach a goal)

begin (achieve or accomplish in the least degree, usually used in the negative)

come to; strike (attain)

culminate (reach the highest or most decisive point)

compass (bring about; accomplish)

average (achieve or reach on average)

finagle; manage; wangle (achieve something by means of trickery or devious methods)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something
Somebody ----s that CLAUSE

Sense 6

Meaning:

To extend as far as

Classified under:

Verbs of being, having, spatial relations

Synonyms:

extend to; reach; touch

Context example:

The chair must not touch the wall

Hypernyms (to "reach" is one way to...):

be (occupy a certain position or area; be somewhere)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "reach"):

reach into (run into or up to)

Sentence frames:

Something is ----ing PP
Something ----s something

Also:

reach into (run into or up to)

reach out (reach outward in space)

Derivation:

reach (the limits within which something can be effective)

Sense 7

Meaning:

Reach a goal

Classified under:

Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

Synonyms:

get to; make; progress to; reach

Context example:

She may not make the grade

Hypernyms (to "reach" is one way to...):

accomplish; achieve; attain; reach (to gain with effort)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Derivation:

reaching (accomplishment of an objective)

Sense 8

Meaning:

Place into the hands or custody of

Classified under:

Verbs of buying, selling, owning

Synonyms:

give; hand; pass; pass on; reach; turn over

Context example:

He turned over the prisoner to his lawyers

Hypernyms (to "reach" is one way to...):

transfer (cause to change ownership)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "reach"):

commit; confide; entrust; intrust; trust (confer a trust upon)

entrust; leave (put into the care or protection of someone)

free; give up; release; relinquish; resign (part with a possession or right)

deliver; fork out; fork over; fork up; hand over; render; turn in (to surrender someone or something to another)

deal (give (a specific card) to a player)

slip; sneak (pass on stealthily)

give (leave with; give temporarily)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s somebody
Somebody ----s somebody something
Somebody ----s something to somebody

Sense 9

Meaning:

To exert much effort or energy

Classified under:

Verbs of fighting, athletic activities

Synonyms:

reach; strain; strive

Context example:

straining our ears to hear

Hypernyms (to "reach" is one way to...):

drive; labor; labour; push; tug (strive and make an effort to reach a goal)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "reach"):

extend oneself (strain to the utmost)

kill oneself; overexert oneself (strain oneself more than is healthy)

bother; inconvenience oneself; trouble; trouble oneself (take the trouble to do something; concern oneself)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s
Somebody ----s PP

 Context examples 

This is a month when dreams come true, so, dear Libra, reach for the stars.

(AstrologyZone.com, by Susan Miller)

You will not now fail to reach your destination.

(The Lost World, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Just then another groan reached their ears, and the sound seemed to come from behind them.

(The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, by L. Frank Baum)

He rose, and with a stride reached me.

(Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë)

"Bless me! How old I shall be, twenty-seven!" exclaimed Meg, who felt grown up already, having just reached seventeen.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

Beyond this room there were three others, reaching the length of the house, to which you passed through three doors, opposite to each other, in the manner of a vista.

(Gulliver's Travels into several remote nations of the world, by Jonathan Swift)

It carries oxygen-rich blood away from the heart to vessels that reach the rest of the body.

(Aorta, NCI Dictionary)

They had reached the end of the gallery, and with tears of shame she ran off to her own room.

(Northanger Abbey, by Jane Austen)

A human who has reached reproductive age.

(Adult, NCI Thesaurus)

Further application of the new method promises to reach farther back, one step and geologic record at a time.

(Deep-sea sediments lead to new understanding of solar system, National Science Foundation)