Word
reach
US/ˈɹitʃ/
UK/ɹˈiːtʃ/
Definitions
01to arrive at a place
v. to arrive at a place or a goal after traveling or making an effort.
v. to arrive at a destination or attain a specific state or goal through effort or progression.
“We finally reached the hotel after driving for six hours in the rain.”
“The climbers finally reached the summit just as the sun began to set, marking the end of a grueling three-day ascent.”
02to stretch out an arm
v. to move your arm or hand toward something so you can touch or grab it.
v. to extend a limb or an object held in the hand in order to touch, grasp, or strike something.
“He reached for the top shelf to get the cereal box.”
“She reached across the table to grab the salt, nearly knocking over a glass of water in the process.”
Usage
Often used with the preposition 'for' when trying to grab something.
03to contact someone
v. to get in touch with someone by phone, email, or letter.
v. to establish communication with someone, especially after several attempts.
“You can reach me on my mobile phone if there is an emergency.”
“Despite several attempts to reach the manager by email, the client received no response regarding the refund.”
Synonyms
04to meet up
v. to arrive at a place to meet friends.
v. to arrive at a destination, specifically to join others or meet up.
“I'll reach the party around nine, so wait for me there.”
“The group decided to reach the club early to avoid the long queues at the entrance.”
Slang · Informal
Teaching tip
This sense is common in Multicultural London English (MLE) and some Caribbean dialects.
05distance you can stretch
n. the distance you can stretch your arm to touch something.
n. the physical extent or distance that a person or thing can reach.
“The cookies were kept on a high shelf, out of the child's reach.”
“The boxer had a significant advantage due to his long reach, allowing him to land punches from a safer distance.”
Usage
Commonly used in the phrases 'within reach' or 'out of reach'.
06influence or power
n. the power or ability to influence people or events.
n. the extent of one's influence, power, or capacity to affect a situation.
“The new law has a long reach and will affect many businesses.”
“The charity's reach has expanded globally, providing aid to millions of people in developing nations.”
07an exaggeration
n. something that is difficult to believe because it is an exaggeration.
n. an interpretation or statement that goes beyond the available evidence; a stretch of the truth.
“Calling him a genius is a bit of a reach, but he is very smart.”
“To suggest that the minor policy change caused the entire economic collapse is quite a reach.”
Informal
Synonyms
08sailing direction
n. a direction of sailing where the wind comes from the side of the boat.
n. a point of sail where the wind blows across the side of the vessel, between being close-hauled and running.
“The boat picked up speed as we turned onto a broad reach.”
“The crew adjusted the sails for a beam reach, taking full advantage of the steady crosswind to maintain their lead.”
Technical
Teaching tip
This is a specific nautical term used by sailors.
Confusables
Arrive focuses on the moment of appearance at a destination and requires a preposition, while reach focuses on the effort or distance covered and takes a direct object.
RememberArrive at a place; reach a goal.
Reach is a transitive verb that takes a direct object, while arrive is intransitive and requires a preposition like at or in to connect to a destination.
RememberReach the place; arrive at the space.
Real-World Examples
“In the UK, temperatures also reached 36C or higher in 40 locations across central and southern England.” “Over the next 75 years, Mayo reached 11 more finals – and lost them all.” “Millions of people still have long Covid, yet a cure still isn't quite within reach.” “All are four-legged plant eaters, with very long necks that helped them reach up into trees and long counter-balancing tails.” Etymology
From Middle English rechen, from Old English rǣċan (“to reach”), from Proto-West Germanic raikijan, from Proto-Germanic raikijaną, from the Proto-Indo-European *Hreyǵ- (“to bind, reach”).
From Japanese 立直 (rīchi), from Chinese 立直 (lìzhí).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Collocations
Word family
Idioms
reach for the sky — To aim for the best possible outcome.
reach for the stars — To have high hopes; to be ambitious.