1 A2 neutral
To stretch your hand or arm out toward something in order to pick it up or take it.
"He reached for his coffee without taking his eyes off the screen."
inseparable
reach for
A2 neutral inseparable transitive
To extend your hand toward something in order to take it, or to try to achieve something ambitious.
In plain English
To put your hand out to get something, or to try hard to get something big.
What does "reach for" mean?
3 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 B1 idiomatic neutral
To try to achieve something ambitious or beyond your current position.
"You have to be willing to reach for goals that seem impossible at first."
“
We choose to go to the Moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard.
— John F. Kennedy, Rice University Speech, 1962
inseparable
3 B1 neutral
To move your hand quickly toward a weapon, especially a gun (often in a threatening or defensive situation).
"The officer shouted a warning when the suspect reached for something in his jacket."
inseparable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To extend your arm toward an object to take hold of it.
Actually means
To put your hand out to get something, or to try hard to get something big.
Usage tip
The physical sense is very common and basic (A2). The figurative sense ('reach for your dreams') is extremely common in motivational and inspirational contexts. Often used with objects representing ambition: stars, top, sky, gun.
Words that pair with "reach for"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
stars sky gun phone glass dreams top
How to conjugate "reach for"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
reach for
I/you/we/they
3rd person
reaches for
he/she/it
Past simple
reached for
yesterday
Past participle
reached for
have + pp
-ing form
reaching for
continuous
Hear "reach for" in the wild
Listen to native speakers using "reach for" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
Other ways to say "reach for"
Swap in when you want variety — tap a linked one to explore it.
Keep exploring
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