overreach
verb
over·reach
ˌō-vər-ˈrēch 
ˌō-və-
overreached; overreaching; overreaches
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
1
of a horse
: to strike the forefoot with the front part of the hind foot
2
a
: to go to excess
b
3
: to overreach oneself
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 on the Web
Politically, the industry was equal parts liberal and libertarian, and was perhaps best reflected by the Electronic Frontier Foundation, created to protect the denizens of cyberspace from an overreaching government.
—
Jonathan Weber, Fortune, 19 May 2026
While suppressing items from an initial, warrantless backpack search at a Pennsylvania McDonald’s, the judge found a later inventory search lawful, allowing key evidence despite defense claims of police overreach.
—Michael R. Sisak, Los Angeles Times, 18 May 2026
The premiere audience gasped and snorted in disbelief as Stan and Reinsve suffer the indignity of an overreaching state — removing teens, tweens and an infant from their loving care.
—Zack Sharf, Variety, 18 May 2026
If governments operated with Hayekian principles in mind, there would be more robust commitments to checks-and-balances to ensure government doesn’t overreach.
—The Editorial Board, Oc Register, 8 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for overreach
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Jonathan Weber, Fortune, 19 May 2026
While suppressing items from an initial, warrantless backpack search at a Pennsylvania McDonald’s, the judge found a later inventory search lawful, allowing key evidence despite defense claims of police overreach.
—Michael R. Sisak, Los Angeles Times, 18 May 2026
The premiere audience gasped and snorted in disbelief as Stan and Reinsve suffer the indignity of an overreaching state — removing teens, tweens and an infant from their loving care.
—Zack Sharf, Variety, 18 May 2026
If governments operated with Hayekian principles in mind, there would be more robust commitments to checks-and-balances to ensure government doesn’t overreach.
—The Editorial Board, Oc Register, 8 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for overreach
Cite this Entry
“Overreach.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/overreach. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
Medical Definition
overreach
intransitive verb
over·reach
-ˈrēch
of a horse
: to strike the toe of the hind foot against the heel or quarter of the forefoot
Legal Definition
overreach
transitive verb
over·reach
ˌō-vər-ˈrēch
: 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)
Townsend v. Burke, 334 U.S. 736 (1948)must determine whether it overreached privilege—National Law Journal
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