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reached
/riːtʃt/
arrived at
The train reached the station at 8 PM.
The train arrived at the station at 8 PM.
neutral
to arrive at a place, condition, or level
She reached the summit after hours of climbing.
She arrived at the top of the mountain after hours of climbing.
The temperature reached 40 degrees Celsius.
The temperature rose to 40 degrees Celsius.
Often used with abstract nouns like 'agreement', 'conclusion', or 'decision' to indicate achieving a state.
neutral
to stretch out an arm to touch or grasp something
He reached for the book on the top shelf.
He stretched out his arm to grab the book on the top shelf.
Commonly used with prepositions like 'for', 'out', or 'toward'.
neutral
to extend in space or time
The forest reaches all the way to the river.
The forest extends continuously to the river.
Often used with spatial or temporal nouns.
Pro Tip
Common Mistakes with 'Reach'
Avoid using 'reach to' for physical extension (e.g., 'He reached to the shelf' is incorrect; use 'He reached for the shelf').
Gold Rule
When to Use 'Reach'
Use 'reach' for both physical extension and abstract achievement, but avoid it for literal arrival in formal writing (e.g., 'The train arrived at the station' is better than 'The train reached at the station').
Word Origin
From Old English 'rǣcan' (to stretch out, extend), related to Old Norse 'rækja' and Old High German 'reichen'. The sense of 'arriving' developed from the idea of extending to a point.
Usage Notes
In formal contexts, 'reach' can sound more precise than 'get to' or 'arrive at'. Avoid redundancy like 'reach up to' when 'reach' alone suffices.
Word Breakdown
reach
stretch out or extend
rootEnglish Dictionary