1
as in thwarting
to get the better of through cleverness
a real estate developer who is always trying to overreach his competitors, fair means or foul
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in exceeding
to go beyond the limit of
the mountain climbers overreached their abilities and paid for it dearly
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of overreaching
Our norms and expectations are being shattered by an overreaching executive.
—
Noah Feldman, Mercury News, 28 Nov. 2025
Our norms and expectations are being shattered by an overreaching executive.
—Noah Feldman, Twin Cities, 25 Nov. 2025
That includes hackers lurking on public Wi-Fi, your internet service provider, or even an overreaching advertiser trying to build a profile on you.
—Ken Colburn, AZCentral.com, 3 Nov. 2025
Elected in 2012 amid the Tea Party movement, Massie has been a consistent critic of an overreaching federal government, of budget deficits and foreign interventionism.
—The Editorial Board, Oc Register, 22 Oct. 2025
Chicago is either a war zone quickly spiraling out of control, or a peaceful city under siege by an overreaching federal government.
—Ben Smith, semafor.com, 17 Oct. 2025
Starmer, along with members of his Labour government, has argued that education should be prioritized instead of overreaching government mandates.
—Caitlin McFall, FOXNews.com, 29 Sep. 2025
Supporters hailed it as a safeguard against catastrophic risks; critics blasted it as overreaching and impossible to enforce at AI’s pace.
—The Ai Insider, Interesting Engineering, 22 Sep. 2025
The motion was withdrawn after a significant public and judicial backlash, an episode that solidified her image as a guardian of institutional integrity against an overreaching executive.
—Sugam Pokharel, CNN Money, 12 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for overreaching
Verb
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Justin was arguably United’s man of the match, personally thwarting Florian Wirtz with two last-gasp blocks in the first half as a wing-back, before proving equally dependable at centre-back in the latter stages.—
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Askarov finished with 20 saves for the Sharks, including thwarting Quinn Hughes on an overtime breakaway.—
Verb
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Anta’s per share offer price isn’t known, and Artémis reportedly expected bids exceeding 40 euros per share.—
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That ruling, which was recently overturned by an appellate court, stood in stark contrast to the will of Tesla’s shareholders, who have now affirmed the substance of the 2018 CEO Performance Award on three separate occasions, each with support exceeding 75% of votes cast.—
Verb
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Relying Too Much On Garbage Disposals Though the name may be deceiving, garbage disposals aren’t actually designed to dispose of all garbage.—
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That level of eye-deceiving detail falters in wide shots, however, some of which suffer from unflattering flat lighting that in certain instances recall computer screensavers of yore, given their colorful artificiality.—
Verb
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That measure passed overwhelmingly, by a 2-to-1 majority, easily surpassing that of the original initiative.—
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Pomegranates have reached super stature and have been dubbed the new super fruit, surpassing blueberries as the antioxidant of choice for heart health.—
Verb
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This came on the heels of another fleeting feel-good moment for the Rangers (20-18-6), who opened the new year by defeating the two-time defending champion Florida Panthers in Friday’s Winter Classic.—
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Zinke faced close races during his second House tenure however, winning his seat in the 2022 midterms by around three points before defeating the same opponent during the 2024 presidential election by more than seven points.—
Verb
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Mamdani will lead a city of over 8 million people, the capital of media, finance and much else, whose annual budget tops $116 billion, after outmaneuvering rivals with decades more experience in a race that captured national attention.—
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Relay is a smart, small-scale espionage film focused on operatives outmaneuvering one another.—
Verb
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DiMarco’s participation became a highlight of the event, with the student asking thoughtful questions about overcoming imposter syndrome and handling rejection.—
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And that religion, like music, can carry the sound of struggle – but also the hope of one day overcoming the injustices and inequalities of everyday life.—
Verb
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Time and Numbers—there’s no outwitting them.—
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Ben Shapiro, Pete Buttigieg, Michael Knowles, Alex O’Connor—these are professional debaters capable of outwitting and outreasoning almost any audience member unfamiliar with traditional debate techniques, regardless of the topic or claim being considered.—
Cite this Entry
“Overreaching.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overreaching. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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