reach for

phrasal verb

reached for; reaching for; reaches for

: 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.

: 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 Advertisement Metro could not be immediately reached for comment Friday evening. —

Liam Dillon, Los Angeles Times, 6 July 2024 With the courthouse closed for the July Fourth holiday, the State Attorney’s Office could not be reached for comment Friday. —

Susannah Bryan, Sun Sentinel, 5 July 2024 End of carousel Lee, who lives in Upper Marlboro, could not immediately be reached for comment. —

Katie Mettler, Washington Post, 5 July 2024 Neither Meriden-Wallingford Anesthesia Group nor Berkowitz & Hanna of Shelton, attorneys for the defendants, could be reached for comment. —

Ed Stannard, Hartford Courant, 5 July 2024 See all Example Sentences for reach for

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.