reach
reach — verb
1. to successfully get to a place by travelling, especially when the journey is lon
to successfully get to a place by travelling, especially when the journey is long or hard
The climbers reached the base camp after walking for eight hours.
reach + place after effort
Our flight reached Tokyo just before the typhoon closed the airport.
News of the promotion reached Christopher while he was at lunch.
news/reach + person (metaphorical arrival)
The rescue boat reached the stranded family before dark.
- finally reach
- reach safely
- reach the airport
- reach the village
- leave
focuses on departing from a place
Grammar Patterns
reach + place
reach + person (news reaches someone)
Usage Note
Often paired with time expressions such as finally, at last, or just before to mark the completion of travel. When the subject is news or information, the object is the person who receives it.
Common Mistakes
2. to arrive at a result such as a decision, opinion, or settlement after talking,
to arrive at a result such as a decision, opinion, or settlement after talking, thinking, or negotiating
The board reached a decision about the new CEO after three rounds of interviews.
reach + decision
Lawyers for both sides reached a settlement just days before the trial.
reach + settlement/agreement
Scientists have not reached a conclusion about the long-term effects of the drug.
reach + conclusion
Femi and his landlord reached an understanding about the rent increase.
- reach a decision
- reach an agreement
- reach a conclusion
- reach a compromise
Grammar Patterns
reach + decision/conclusion/agreement
Usage Note
Common object nouns include decision, agreement, conclusion, verdict, compromise, settlement, and understanding. The process always involves thought, discussion, or negotiation.
3. to move upward or onward until you hit a specific number, height, speed, or step
to move upward or onward until you hit a specific number, height, speed, or step in a process that is often notable
Summer temperatures in this region can reach forty-five degrees Celsius.
reach + temperature level
The company's sales reached one billion dollars for the first time last quarter.
reach + financial milestone
Tuan reached the semifinals of the national chess tournament at age twelve.
reach + stage of competition
Unemployment in the area has reached a point that worries local leaders.
The train reached a top speed of three hundred kilometres per hour.
reach + speed
- reach a peak
- reach a level
- reach a milestone
- reach capacity
- drop below
used when a value falls under a certain level
Grammar Patterns
reach + numerical value/level/stage
reach + noun (milestone)
Usage Note
The object is typically a measured quantity (temperature, speed, price, level, percentage) or a named stage (final, next, critical). Frequently used in news reports and business writing.
4. to extend your arm or hand so that you can touch, grab, or pick up something tha
to extend your arm or hand so that you can touch, grab, or pick up something that is a little far away from you
Hannah reached for the jam on the top shelf but could not grab it.
reach for + object (attempt to get)
The toddler reached up to touch the cat sitting on the chair.
reach up (direction adverb)
Could you reach that book for me? I cannot reach it from here.
reach + object + for + person
Gabriel reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a small notebook.
reach into + container
Meera reached across the table to pass the salt to her grandmother.
- reach for
- reach into
- reach up
- reach across
- reach over
Grammar Patterns
reach for + object
reach + object
reach + adverb (up/over/into)
Usage Note
When intransitive, a direction word (for, into, up, across, over) usually follows. When transitive, the object is the thing you manage to touch or take. 'Reach for' implies an attempt; 'reach' alone implies success.
Common Mistakes
5. when an object reaches a certain point, it is long or tall enough to touch that
when an object reaches a certain point, it is long or tall enough to touch that thing, or the space it covers goes that far
The new curtains reach the floor perfectly, so no light comes through.
object reaches + point (touches)
The garden reaches all the way down to the river behind the house.
area reaches + as far as + landmark
The shelf does not quite reach the wall, leaving a gap of about two centimetres.
object does not reach + point (falls short)
Her hair reaches the middle of her back after years of letting it grow.
- reach the floor
- reach the ground
- reach as far as
- reach all the way
- extend to
more formal; often used for land, roads, or boundaries
- go as far as
informal and conversational; 'The carpet goes as far as the door.'
- fall short of
used when an object is not long or tall enough to reach a point
Grammar Patterns
object + reach(es) + point
object + reach(es) + as far as + place
Usage Note
The subject is always an object or area — never a person. Common with phrases like all the way, as far as, down to, and up to to describe the full extent. The negative form (does not reach) means 'falls short of'.
6. to succeed in speaking with or sending a message to someone, especially by phone
to succeed in speaking with or sending a message to someone, especially by phone, email, or another communication tool
I called four times but could not reach Imani until the evening.
reach + person by phone
You can reach our support team by email or live chat on the website.
reach + team/department by channel
The manager can be reached at this number between nine and five on weekdays.
passive: be reached at [number]
Maja reached her cousin by video call while he was working in Singapore.
- reach by phone
- reach by email
- reach someone at
- can be reached
- contact
slightly more formal; works for any communication method
- get hold of
informal; 'I could not get hold of the doctor' is common in spoken English
Grammar Patterns
reach + person
reach + person + at/by/on (phone/email)
Usage Note
Very common for telephone contact. The passive can be reached at [number] is standard in professional settings such as email signatures and office directories.
Common Mistakes
7. to succeed in making someone understand your feelings or ideas, especially when
to succeed in making someone understand your feelings or ideas, especially when this has been difficult or when other attempts have failed
The counsellor finally reached Yara by talking about her favourite music.
reach + person + by + method/medium
Baraka's poems reach readers who have never visited his country.
Through honest storytelling, the documentary reached millions of viewers around the world.
passive not used — active reach + audience
It took several months for the charity's message to reach the local community.
message + reaches + person/group — abstract subject
- reach + audience / viewers / community / readers
- message / story / speech / words + reach + someone
- reach + someone + through / by + (art, music, storytelling)
- connect with
broader and less formal; can be physical or digital, not just emotional
- get through to
informal; strongly implies previous difficulty or failure
Grammar Patterns
reach + someone
Usage Note
The object of this sense is always a person or a group of people — not an idea or a message. The message itself can be the subject (e.g., 'her story reached many people').
Common Mistakes
8. to stretch out your arm in order to give something to a person who is near enoug
to stretch out your arm in order to give something to a person who is near enough to take it
Faisal reached the remote control to his brother on the sofa.
reach + something + to + someone
Can you reach me the salt from the top shelf, please?
reach + someone + something — ditransitive pattern
The nurse reached a glass of water to the patient in the bed.
Without looking up, Christopher reached the morning newspaper to his wife.
concrete everyday objects as direct object
- reach + (salt, cup, book, paper, remote, keys) + to + someone
- reach + someone + (salt, etc.)
Grammar Patterns
reach + something + to + someone
reach + someone + something
Usage Note
Commonly used with concrete, everyday objects (salt, cup, book, paper). The person receiving the item is usually nearby — within arm's length. Both patterns ('reach something to someone' and 'reach someone something') are equally common.
Common Mistakes
9. to try with great effort to get or achieve a difficult aim, often working for a
to try with great effort to get or achieve a difficult aim, often working for a long time if necessary
Young musicians often reach for excellence by practising for hours each day.
reach + for + abstract goal + method clause
The research team reached for a cure even after many failed experiments.
reach + for + difficult, worthy objective
Communities around the world reach for peace after years of conflict.
Tamar reached for the top position in the company with quiet determination.
reach + for + position / status
- reach for + success / excellence / perfection / peace / a cure / the top / the stars
- reach for + (a goal / an ideal / a dream)
- strive for
more formal and intense; often suggests moral or personal effort
- aim for
more neutral and less intense; may or may not involve great effort
- aspire to
focuses on ambition or desire rather than active effort
- give up on
opposite direction — to stop trying
- settle for
opposite direction — to accept less than what one wanted
Grammar Patterns
reach + for + (success, excellence, perfection, the top, a goal)
Usage Note
This sense focuses on the effort itself, not the outcome. If the person actually achieves the goal, use 'achieve' or 'attain' instead. The object of 'for' is almost always abstract (success, peace, excellence, a cure) — rarely a physical object.
Common Mistakes
reach out
phrasal verbto make an effort to contact or communicate with someone, especially in order to give help, offer support, or build a relationship
The charity reached out to families affected by the fire and offered temporary housing.
If you are feeling stressed, please reach out to a friend or a counsellor for support.
reach for the stars
idiomto aim for something very ambitious or difficult, going beyond what seems realistically possible
Her parents always told her to reach for the stars and never settle for less.
Starting the bakery was a risk, but Reuben believed in reaching for the stars.
when information or a piece of news reaches a person's ears, they hear about it, often indirectly and after others already knew
Word of the budget cuts reached the staff's ears before the official meeting.
News of Hao's award reached his family's ears through an article in the local paper.
Someone finds out about something, often after others already knew.
When the news reached Sara's ears, she felt very upset.
Did the rumor about the layoffs come to your ears yet?
reach — noun
1. the area your arm can cover when fully stretched, used to say whether you can to
the area your arm can cover when fully stretched, used to say whether you can touch something without moving from where you are
Yumi kept a glass of water within reach on her bedside table.
within reach (fixed phrase, available nearby)
The medicine was stored on a high shelf, out of the children's reach.
out of reach + possessive (the children's)
Faisal moved the reading lamp closer until the switch was within reach.
The box of tissues was beyond Soraya's reach on the top shelf.
beyond (possessive) reach (unable to touch)
- within reach
- out of reach
- beyond reach
- arm's reach
- easy reach
Grammar Patterns
within (possessive) reach
out of reach
within reach of [noun]
beyond (possessive) reach
Usage Note
Frequently appears in three fixed phrases — within reach (available to touch), out of reach (cannot touch), and beyond reach (further than out of reach). A possessive form (the dog's reach) or an of-phrase (within reach of the table) indicates whose or what range is being measured.
Common Mistakes
2. how far a person or vehicle can travel without difficulty, especially used to sa
how far a person or vehicle can travel without difficulty, especially used to say that a place is conveniently located
The national park is within easy reach of the city by car.
within easy reach of [place]
All the main tourist spots are within walking reach of the hotel.
within walking reach (distance easily walked)
Chiara chose a university within reach of her hometown by train.
The mountain lodge is within reach of the ski slopes by a short bus ride.
- easy reach
- walking reach
- driving reach
- within reach of
- proximity
formal; expresses nearness in distance (the proximity of the airport)
Grammar Patterns
within easy reach of [place]
within (walking/driving) reach of [place]
Usage Note
Commonly paired with easy (within easy reach) and sometimes with a gerund like walking or driving to specify the travel method. Usually appears in positive statements about convenience rather than in negative claims about inaccessibility.
Common Mistakes
3. the full measurement from shoulder to fingertips when a person straightens their
the full measurement from shoulder to fingertips when a person straightens their arm, used as a practical distance reference
A standard desk lamp should be placed at arm's reach from where you sit.
at arm's reach (fixed possessive phrase)
The cook hung the pots on hooks within arm's reach above the counter.
Niran measured the width of the doorway using his own arm's reach.
The life jacket was stored at arm's reach from the boat's steering wheel.
- arm's reach
- at arm's reach
- within arm's reach
Grammar Patterns
at arm's reach
within arm's reach
Usage Note
Nearly always appears in the possessive form arm's reach. This differs from sense 1 (within reach) in that it refers specifically to the literal length of the arm as a measurement unit rather than a general zone of accessibility.
4. the physical movement of extending one arm towards an object in order to pick it
the physical movement of extending one arm towards an object in order to pick it up, touch it, or prevent it from falling
With a quick reach, Naoko caught the falling spoon before it hit the floor.
a quick reach (sudden extending of arm)
Dylan's reach for the top shelf ended when his fingers just touched the box.
reach for [object] (attempt to grasp)
The child made a sudden reach for the colourful balloon floating overhead.
make a reach for [object]
A quick reach across the table saved the candle from being knocked over.
- make a reach
- quick reach
- sudden reach
- reach for
- long reach
- stretch
focuses on extending the arm rather than obtaining something (a long stretch across the desk)
Grammar Patterns
make a reach for [object]
a reach for [object]
Usage Note
This is the only noun sense of reach that is fully countable and describes an action event rather than a static range. It often appears with an adjective such as quick, sudden, or long. The for-phrase indicates the target that the person is trying to get.
Common Mistakes
5. the limit of what a person can achieve, understand, or control, or the size of a
the limit of what a person can achieve, understand, or control, or the size of an organisation's influence or power
A university education was beyond the reach of many families in that village.
beyond the reach of (figurative: unaffordable)
The company's global reach now covers over thirty countries on four continents.
the reach of [organisation] (scope of influence)
A cure for the disease remains out of reach for scientists at this time.
Tariro's dream of owning a home felt frustratingly out of reach.
out of reach (figurative: impossible to obtain)
Social media has given ordinary people a reach that was once reserved for celebrities.
- global reach
- beyond reach
- within reach
- out of reach
- the reach of
Grammar Patterns
beyond the reach of [noun]
within the reach of [noun]
out of reach
the reach of [noun]
Usage Note
This is the most frequent abstract sense of reach. It works with the same three prepositions as the physical sense (within, out of, beyond) but references achievement, understanding, or influence rather than physical touching. Subject is often a person's goal, a company's operations, or a campaign's audience.
Common Mistakes
6. a continuous section of a river between two bends, or a wide area of land or coa
a continuous section of a river between two bends, or a wide area of land or coastline with no clear breaks
The upper reach of the river is home to many rare fish species.
upper reach of [river] (geographic term)
A wide reach of golden grassland stretched from the hills to the coast.
Hari walked along the quiet reach of the river that lay beyond the bridge.
The lower reaches of the valley are used for rice farming in summer.
the lower reaches (furthest downstream section)
- upper reach
- lower reach
- reach of the river
- reach of coastline
Grammar Patterns
the upper/lower reach of [river]
a reach of [river/land/coast]
Usage Note
Often appears in the plural (reaches) when referring to a broader section of a river system or landscape. Upper reaches means the part closer to the source; lower reaches means the part closer to the sea. Also used for non-river landscapes such as a reach of coastline or a reach of forest.
Common Mistakes
7. one of the ranks or positions in a large organization's structure, from the high
one of the ranks or positions in a large organization's structure, from the highest positions of power down to the lowest entry-level ones
The decision was made by people in the upper reaches of the company.
collocation: the upper reaches of [organization]
Gita worked her way up from the lower reaches of the firm to management.
collocation: the lower reaches of [organization]
Opinions from the lower reaches of the department are often ignored by senior staff.
The new policy was unpopular at every level, from the upper reaches to the bottom.
range expression: from the upper reaches to the bottom
Hyun's ideas were discussed even in the highest reaches of the government.
- the upper reaches of
- the lower reaches of
- the highest reaches of
- the middle reaches of
- the top reaches of
- the bottom reaches of
Grammar Patterns
the upper/lower reaches of [organization]
Usage Note
Always used in the plural form 'reaches' in this sense, typically preceded by 'the' and paired with a modifier like 'upper', 'lower', or 'highest'. The phrases 'the upper reaches' and 'the lower reaches' are the most common patterns.
Common Mistakes
Word family
- reachesverbB1
- reachedverbA2
- reachingverbB1
- reachableadjectiveB2
- unreachableadjectiveB2
Synonym discussion
Sense: verb/1
Reach (verb/1, ARRIVE AFTER TRAVEL) focuses on completing a journey and getting to a specific destination, often involving some effort or difficulty. Unlike arrive, which always takes a preposition (arrive at the station, arrive in London), reach is directly transitive — you reach the station, never reach to the station. Get to is the informal everyday equivalent, widely used in conversation ('We got to the airport just in time'). Make it to adds a nuance of overcoming an obstacle or a tight schedule ('She made it to the meeting despite the traffic'). For sense 6 (CONTACT), reach contrasts with contact — reach is slightly more conversational and strongly associated with phone calls, while contact is more formal and broader (can mean email, letter, or in-person). For noun sense 5 (CAPABILITY LIMIT), reach differs from range in that range measures spread in more neutral or technical terms (a wide range of prices), whereas reach implies the boundary of what is attainable or controllable (beyond the reach of local authorities).
Common collocations
Nouns
- reach for the stars
- reach a decision
- reach an agreement
- reach a conclusion
- reach a milestone
- reach a compromise
- reach a settlement
- reach a verdict
- reach a deal
- reach the top
Adverbs
- easily reachable
- just reachable
- nearly reach
- barely reach
- finally reach
Phrases
- within reach
- out of reach
- beyond reach
- reach for the stars
- reach out
- reach a boiling point
- within walking reach
- within arm's reach
- the upper reaches of
Prepositions
- within reach of
- out of reach of
- beyond the reach of
- within easy reach of
- at arm's reach
Etymology
Reach comes from Old English rǣcan, meaning 'to stretch out the hand or arm' or 'to extend.' This core idea of stretching or extending later developed into the sense of arriving somewhere (stretching a journey to its end) and, by the 1600s, into figurative uses such as reaching a decision or reaching for success. The word is related to Dutch reiken and German reichen, which share the same root sense of extending or offering.