verb / noun

reach

REECH/riːtʃ/

To extend as far as a particular destination or target.

The man reaches up and touches an apple on the branch.

A man stretches upward, his fingertips making contact with an apple still attached to a high branch, visibly reaching the limit of his extended arm.

Etymology

reachOld Englishstretch out; succeed in touching

Old English ræcan covered both stretching outward and successfully touching something, and could also mean addressing someone. These senses unite physical extension, arriving at a destination, and making contact with a person.

In context

HISTORY41:21

NARRATOR: But to reach the defenders of Maiden Castle, the bolt must have traveled over three huge ramparts.

Lost Worlds: The Pagans Revealed - Full Episode (S1, E13) | History

More examples

We reach the station just before noon.
The two sides finally reached an agreement.
Keep the medicine out of children's reach.
You can reach me at this number.

Forms

reach · reaches · reached · reaching

reachable adjective — Able to be reached or contacted.

Similar words

arrive: Emphasizes getting to a destination, not extending toward it.
attain: Emphasizes successfully achieving a goal, level, or result.
extend: Emphasizes stretching outward, without necessarily reaching a target.