to stretch out your arm or body so that your hand can touch, pick up, or take something
Mia stood on a chair to reach the cookie jar on the top shelf.
The boy jumped but still couldn’t reach the basketball hoop.
✦ Old English rǣcan “to stretch out, extend.”
to arrive at a place after travelling
We finally reached the hotel just before midnight.
The hikers reached the mountain summit after six hours.
✦ Same Old English root rǣcan, extended figuratively to arriving at a place.
to achieve a particular level, amount, or result
The temperature reached 40°C yesterday.
Her video quickly reached one million views.
✦ Metaphorical extension of reaching with the hand to figuratively touching a target number or level.
to deliver a religious sermon or speak publicly about faith or moral teaching
Every Sunday morning, the minister preaches to a packed congregation.
The monk traveled from village to village, preaching about kindness and compassion.
✦ Middle English ‘prechen’, from Old French ‘precher’, from Late Latin ‘praedicare’ meaning ‘to proclaim’.
to give moral advice or opinions to others, often in a way that seems annoying or superior
My older brother is always preaching to me about saving money.
Stop preaching and let people make their own choices.
to break a law, promise, agreement, or accepted standard
The company breached environmental regulations.
He breaches the terms of his parole if he leaves the state.
✦ Verb sense developed from the noun meaning “break; violation.”
to force a way through or over something, or to leap clear of the water
Rising river water finally breached the dam.
Hackers managed to breach the firewall.
✦ Extended verbal sense of physically breaking through, recorded since the 16th century.
