reach for

phrasal verb

reached for; reaching for; reaches for
1
: to move one's hand in order to get or touch (someone or something)
She reached for the salt and pepper.
He reached into his pocket for a dime.
2
: to try hard to achieve or succeed at (something)
Success won't come to you, you have to reach for it.

Examples of reach for in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web None of those detained could immediately be reached for comment. Kevin Rector, Los Angeles Times, 6 May 2024 Lopez has consistently been reaching for this wardrobe staple, with multiple baggy jeans moments happening in New York this past month. Jamie Allison Sanders, Peoplemag, 5 May 2024 Nearly nine in 10 non-alc beer drinkers are reaching for the option simply to moderate their intake of alcohol. Christiaan Hetzner, Fortune, 4 May 2024 Replay review confirmed Turner’s right foot slid across the plate just ahead of an acrobatic attempt at a tag from the pitcher, and that might as well have put the game out of reach for the Giants. Evan Webeck, The Mercury News, 3 May 2024 Here’s where metropolitan areas in California ranked in terms of the percentage of neighborhoods where housing is out of reach for typical households, according to Creditnews Research. Jacqueline Pinedo, Sacramento Bee, 3 May 2024 Glamour's Calle regularly reaches for this one—typically for a no-makeup beach day. Bella Cacciatore, Glamour, 3 May 2024 The procedure is costly, invasive, and out of reach for most of the 20 million people with sickle cell disease around the world. TIME, 2 May 2024 Hala charges $5,000 per adult and $2,500 per child to exit through Rafah – sums that are out of reach for the vast majority of families. Taylor Luck, The Christian Science Monitor, 30 Apr. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'reach for.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Dictionary Entries Near reach for

Cite this Entry

“Reach for.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/reach%20for. Accessed 9 May. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!