reach
reach — verb
1. to successfully get to a place by travelling, especially when the journey is lon
to successfully get to a place by travelling, especially when the journey is long or hard
The climbers reached the base camp after walking for eight hours.
reach + place after effort
Our flight reached Tokyo just before the typhoon closed the airport.
News of the promotion reached Christopher while he was at lunch.
The rescue boat reached the stranded family before dark.
- leave
focuses on departing from a place
文法句型
reach + place
reach + person (news reaches someone)
用法筆記
Often paired with time expressions such as finally, at last, or just before to mark the completion of travel. When the subject is news or information, the object is the person who receives it.
常見錯誤
2. to arrive at a result such as a decision, opinion, or settlement after talking,
to arrive at a result such as a decision, opinion, or settlement after talking, thinking, or negotiating
The board reached a decision about the new CEO after three rounds of interviews.
reach + decision
Lawyers for both sides reached a settlement just days before the trial.
reach + settlement/agreement
Scientists have not reached a conclusion about the long-term effects of the drug.
Femi and his landlord reached an understanding about the rent increase.
文法句型
reach + decision/conclusion/agreement
用法筆記
Common object nouns include decision, agreement, conclusion, verdict, compromise, settlement, and understanding. The process always involves thought, discussion, or negotiation.
3. to move upward or onward until you hit a specific number, height, speed, or step
to move upward or onward until you hit a specific number, height, speed, or step in a process that is often notable
Summer temperatures in this region can reach forty-five degrees Celsius.
reach + temperature level
The company's sales reached one billion dollars for the first time last quarter.
reach + financial milestone
Tuan reached the semifinals of the national chess tournament at age twelve.
Unemployment in the area has reached a point that worries local leaders.
The train reached a top speed of three hundred kilometres per hour.
- drop below
used when a value falls under a certain level
文法句型
reach + numerical value/level/stage
reach + noun (milestone)
用法筆記
The object is typically a measured quantity (temperature, speed, price, level, percentage) or a named stage (final, next, critical). Frequently used in news reports and business writing.
4. to extend your arm or hand so that you can touch, grab, or pick up something tha
to extend your arm or hand so that you can touch, grab, or pick up something that is a little far away from you
Hannah reached for the jam on the top shelf but could not grab it.
reach for + object (attempt to get)
The toddler reached up to touch the cat sitting on the chair.
reach up (direction adverb)
Could you reach that book for me? I cannot reach it from here.
Gabriel reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a small notebook.
Meera reached across the table to pass the salt to her grandmother.
文法句型
reach for + object
reach + object
reach + adverb (up/over/into)
用法筆記
When intransitive, a direction word (for, into, up, across, over) usually follows. When transitive, the object is the thing you manage to touch or take. 'Reach for' implies an attempt; 'reach' alone implies success.
常見錯誤
5. when an object reaches a certain point, it is long or tall enough to touch that
when an object reaches a certain point, it is long or tall enough to touch that thing, or the space it covers goes that far
The new curtains reach the floor perfectly, so no light comes through.
object reaches + point (touches)
The garden reaches all the way down to the river behind the house.
area reaches + as far as + landmark
The shelf does not quite reach the wall, leaving a gap of about two centimetres.
Her hair reaches the middle of her back after years of letting it grow.
- extend to
more formal; often used for land, roads, or boundaries
- go as far as
informal and conversational; 'The carpet goes as far as the door.'
- fall short of
used when an object is not long or tall enough to reach a point
文法句型
object + reach(es) + point
object + reach(es) + as far as + place
用法筆記
The subject is always an object or area — never a person. Common with phrases like all the way, as far as, down to, and up to to describe the full extent. The negative form (does not reach) means 'falls short of'.
6. to succeed in speaking with or sending a message to someone, especially by phone
to succeed in speaking with or sending a message to someone, especially by phone, email, or another communication tool
I called four times but could not reach Imani until the evening.
reach + person by phone
You can reach our support team by email or live chat on the website.
reach + team/department by channel
The manager can be reached at this number between nine and five on weekdays.
Maja reached her cousin by video call while he was working in Singapore.
- contact
slightly more formal; works for any communication method
- get hold of
informal; 'I could not get hold of the doctor' is common in spoken English
文法句型
reach + person
reach + person + at/by/on (phone/email)
用法筆記
Very common for telephone contact. The passive can be reached at [number] is standard in professional settings such as email signatures and office directories.
常見錯誤
7. to succeed in making someone understand your feelings or ideas, especially when
to succeed in making someone understand your feelings or ideas, especially when this has been difficult or when other attempts have failed
The counsellor finally reached Yara by talking about her favourite music.
reach + person + by + method/medium
Baraka's poems reach readers who have never visited his country.
Through honest storytelling, the documentary reached millions of viewers around the world.
It took several months for the charity's message to reach the local community.
- connect with
broader and less formal; can be physical or digital, not just emotional
- get through to
informal; strongly implies previous difficulty or failure
文法句型
reach + someone
用法筆記
The object of this sense is always a person or a group of people — not an idea or a message. The message itself can be the subject (e.g., 'her story reached many people').
常見錯誤
8. to stretch out your arm in order to give something to a person who is near enoug
to stretch out your arm in order to give something to a person who is near enough to take it
Faisal reached the remote control to his brother on the sofa.
reach + something + to + someone
Can you reach me the salt from the top shelf, please?
reach + someone + something — ditransitive pattern
The nurse reached a glass of water to the patient in the bed.
Without looking up, Christopher reached the morning newspaper to his wife.
文法句型
reach + something + to + someone
reach + someone + something
用法筆記
Commonly used with concrete, everyday objects (salt, cup, book, paper). The person receiving the item is usually nearby — within arm's length. Both patterns ('reach something to someone' and 'reach someone something') are equally common.
常見錯誤
9. to try with great effort to get or achieve a difficult aim, often working for a
to try with great effort to get or achieve a difficult aim, often working for a long time if necessary
Young musicians often reach for excellence by practising for hours each day.
reach + for + abstract goal + method clause
The research team reached for a cure even after many failed experiments.
reach + for + difficult, worthy objective
Communities around the world reach for peace after years of conflict.
Tamar reached for the top position in the company with quiet determination.
- strive for
more formal and intense; often suggests moral or personal effort
- aim for
more neutral and less intense; may or may not involve great effort
- aspire to
focuses on ambition or desire rather than active effort
- give up on
opposite direction — to stop trying
- settle for
opposite direction — to accept less than what one wanted
文法句型
reach + for + (success, excellence, perfection, the top, a goal)
用法筆記
This sense focuses on the effort itself, not the outcome. If the person actually achieves the goal, use 'achieve' or 'attain' instead. The object of 'for' is almost always abstract (success, peace, excellence, a cure) — rarely a physical object.
常見錯誤
reach — noun
1. the area your arm can cover when fully stretched, used to say whether you can to
the area your arm can cover when fully stretched, used to say whether you can touch something without moving from where you are
Yumi kept a glass of water within reach on her bedside table.
within reach (fixed phrase, available nearby)
The medicine was stored on a high shelf, out of the children's reach.
out of reach + possessive (the children's)
Faisal moved the reading lamp closer until the switch was within reach.
The box of tissues was beyond Soraya's reach on the top shelf.
文法句型
within (possessive) reach
out of reach
within reach of [noun]
beyond (possessive) reach
用法筆記
Frequently appears in three fixed phrases — within reach (available to touch), out of reach (cannot touch), and beyond reach (further than out of reach). A possessive form (the dog's reach) or an of-phrase (within reach of the table) indicates whose or what range is being measured.
常見錯誤
2. how far a person or vehicle can travel without difficulty, especially used to sa
how far a person or vehicle can travel without difficulty, especially used to say that a place is conveniently located
The national park is within easy reach of the city by car.
within easy reach of [place]
All the main tourist spots are within walking reach of the hotel.
within walking reach (distance easily walked)
Chiara chose a university within reach of her hometown by train.
The mountain lodge is within reach of the ski slopes by a short bus ride.
- proximity
formal; expresses nearness in distance (the proximity of the airport)
文法句型
within easy reach of [place]
within (walking/driving) reach of [place]
用法筆記
Commonly paired with easy (within easy reach) and sometimes with a gerund like walking or driving to specify the travel method. Usually appears in positive statements about convenience rather than in negative claims about inaccessibility.
常見錯誤
3. the full measurement from shoulder to fingertips when a person straightens their
the full measurement from shoulder to fingertips when a person straightens their arm, used as a practical distance reference
A standard desk lamp should be placed at arm's reach from where you sit.
at arm's reach (fixed possessive phrase)
The cook hung the pots on hooks within arm's reach above the counter.
Niran measured the width of the doorway using his own arm's reach.
The life jacket was stored at arm's reach from the boat's steering wheel.
文法句型
at arm's reach
within arm's reach
用法筆記
Nearly always appears in the possessive form arm's reach. This differs from sense 1 (within reach) in that it refers specifically to the literal length of the arm as a measurement unit rather than a general zone of accessibility.
4. the physical movement of extending one arm towards an object in order to pick it
the physical movement of extending one arm towards an object in order to pick it up, touch it, or prevent it from falling
With a quick reach, Naoko caught the falling spoon before it hit the floor.
a quick reach (sudden extending of arm)
Dylan's reach for the top shelf ended when his fingers just touched the box.
reach for [object] (attempt to grasp)
The child made a sudden reach for the colourful balloon floating overhead.
A quick reach across the table saved the candle from being knocked over.
- stretch
focuses on extending the arm rather than obtaining something (a long stretch across the desk)
文法句型
make a reach for [object]
a reach for [object]
用法筆記
This is the only noun sense of reach that is fully countable and describes an action event rather than a static range. It often appears with an adjective such as quick, sudden, or long. The for-phrase indicates the target that the person is trying to get.
常見錯誤
5. the limit of what a person can achieve, understand, or control, or the size of a
the limit of what a person can achieve, understand, or control, or the size of an organisation's influence or power
A university education was beyond the reach of many families in that village.
beyond the reach of (figurative: unaffordable)
The company's global reach now covers over thirty countries on four continents.
the reach of [organisation] (scope of influence)
A cure for the disease remains out of reach for scientists at this time.
Tariro's dream of owning a home felt frustratingly out of reach.
Social media has given ordinary people a reach that was once reserved for celebrities.
文法句型
beyond the reach of [noun]
within the reach of [noun]
out of reach
the reach of [noun]
用法筆記
This is the most frequent abstract sense of reach. It works with the same three prepositions as the physical sense (within, out of, beyond) but references achievement, understanding, or influence rather than physical touching. Subject is often a person's goal, a company's operations, or a campaign's audience.
常見錯誤
6. a continuous section of a river between two bends, or a wide area of land or coa
a continuous section of a river between two bends, or a wide area of land or coastline with no clear breaks
The upper reach of the river is home to many rare fish species.
upper reach of [river] (geographic term)
A wide reach of golden grassland stretched from the hills to the coast.
Hari walked along the quiet reach of the river that lay beyond the bridge.
The lower reaches of the valley are used for rice farming in summer.
文法句型
the upper/lower reach of [river]
a reach of [river/land/coast]
用法筆記
Often appears in the plural (reaches) when referring to a broader section of a river system or landscape. Upper reaches means the part closer to the source; lower reaches means the part closer to the sea. Also used for non-river landscapes such as a reach of coastline or a reach of forest.
常見錯誤
7. one of the ranks or positions in a large organization's structure, from the high
one of the ranks or positions in a large organization's structure, from the highest positions of power down to the lowest entry-level ones
The decision was made by people in the upper reaches of the company.
collocation: the upper reaches of [organization]
Gita worked her way up from the lower reaches of the firm to management.
collocation: the lower reaches of [organization]
Opinions from the lower reaches of the department are often ignored by senior staff.
The new policy was unpopular at every level, from the upper reaches to the bottom.
Hyun's ideas were discussed even in the highest reaches of the government.
文法句型
the upper/lower reaches of [organization]
用法筆記
Always used in the plural form 'reaches' in this sense, typically preceded by 'the' and paired with a modifier like 'upper', 'lower', or 'highest'. The phrases 'the upper reaches' and 'the lower reaches' are the most common patterns.