1. To stretch out or put forth (a body part); extend: reached out an arm.
2. To touch or grasp by stretching out or extending: cant reach the shelf.
3. To arrive at; attain: reached a conclusion; reached their destination.
4.
a. To succeed in getting in contact with or communicating with: They reached us by phone. Our newsletter reaches a specialized readership.
b. To succeed in having an effect on: No one seems able to reach her anymore.
5.
a. To extend as far as: The property reaches the shore.
b. To project as far as: A distant cry reached our ears.
c. To travel as far as: a long fly ball that reached the stadiums wall.
6. To aggregate or amount to: Sales reached the millions.
7. Informal To grasp and hand over to another: Reach me the sugar.
v.intr.
1. To thrust out or extend something.
2. To try to grasp or touch something: reached for a book.
3.
a. To have extension in space or time: a coat that reaches to the knee; a career that reached over several decades.
b. To be extensive in influence or effect.
4. To make an excessive effort, as in drawing a conclusion or making a joke; overreach.
5. Nautical To sail with the wind abeam.
n.
1. The act or an instance of stretching or thrusting out.
2. The extent or distance something can reach.
3.
a. Range of understanding; comprehension: a subject beyond my reach.
b. Range or scope of influence or effect.
4. An expanse: a reach of prairie; the lower reaches of the food chain.
5. A pole connecting the rear axle of a vehicle with the front.
6. Nautical The tack of a sailing vessel with the wind abeam.
7. The stretch of water visible between bends in a river or channel.
[Middle English rechen, from Old English rcan; see reig- in Indo-European roots.]
reacha·ble adj.
reacher n.
Synonyms: reach, achieve, attain, gain1, compass These verbs mean to succeed in arriving at a goal or objective. Reach is the least specific: reached home before dark; reach an understanding. Achieve suggests the application of skill or initiative: achieved national recognition. Attain implies the impelling force of ambition, principle, or ideals: trying to attain self-confidence. Gain connotes considerable effort in surmounting obstacles: gained the workers trust. Compass implies succeeding by circumventing impediments: will compass the task. See Also Synonyms at range.
reach /rit/ v.-es1 [I] to stretch out ones arm and hand: He reached across the table to get the salt.2 [T] to come to a point, go as far as: We reached Nashville before our car needed gas.3 [T] to make contact with s.o., get in touch with: We couldnt reach you by telephone, so we are writing this letter.4 [T] to be able to get to a necessary thing or place: Can you reach the top shelf of books?5 [I;T] to cover an area, go from one place to another: Russia reaches across two continents.6 phrasal v.sep. [I;T] to reach out for s.o. or s.t.: to try to contact s.o. or s.t. physically or emotionally: In his poetry, he seems to be reaching out for help. n.-es1 [C;U] the length an arm can be put or stretched out: I dont have my notes within reach, so I cant answer your question.2 [C] a wide-open area of s.t., esp. water: The reach of the ocean seems never-ending when you are in a small boat.3 [U] the possibility of getting or accomplishing s.t.: An expensive car is beyond our reach because we dont have enough money.4your reach should exceed your grasp: you should try to go farther than where you are now: I probably dont have enough experience to get hired at this company, but Ill try; after all, your reach should exceed your grasp.
Thesaurus: reachv. 1to extend, put out ones hand 2 to get to, arrive at 3 to get through to s.o. 4 to get to 5 to stretch across, extend across. n. 1 ones grasp 2 expanse, scope 3 range, grasp, attainability.
/ v. -es 1 [I] to stretch out ones arm and hand: He reached across the table to get the salt. 2 [T] to come to a point, go as far as: We reached Nashville before our car needed gas. 3 [T] to make contact with s.o., get in touch with: We couldnt reach you by telephone, so we are writing this letter. 4 [T] to be able to get to a necessary thing or place: Can you reach the top shelf of books? 5 [I;T] to cover an area, go from one place to another: Russia reaches across two continents. 6 phrasal v. sep. [I;T] to reach out for s.o. or s.t.: to try to contact s.o. or s.t. physically or emotionally: In his poetry, he seems to be reaching out for help. 
n. -es 1 [C;U] the length an arm can be put or stretched out: I dont have my notes within reach, so I cant answer your question. 2 [C] a wide-open area of s.t., esp. water: The reach of the ocean seems never-ending when you are in a small boat. 3 [U] the possibility of getting or accomplishing s.t.: An expensive car is beyond our reach because we dont have enough money. 4 your reach should exceed your grasp: you should try to go farther than where you are now: I probably dont have enough experience to get hired at this company, but Ill try; after all, your reach should exceed your grasp.
ch)
can; see reig- in Indo-European roots.]
a·ble adj.