Meaning & use
reach out
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Meanings
verbintransitive
To try to communicate with someone, especially to offer help or ask for something.
Grammar: No object; often followed by to: reach out to a friend.
Patterns
- reach out to someone
- reach out for something
After the argument, she decided to reach out to her sister and apologize.
The charity reached out to local businesses for donations.
He reached out to his old colleague for advice.
verbintransitive
To stretch out your hand or arm to touch or take something.
Grammar: Often followed by for or to: reach out for the rope.
Patterns
- reach out for something
- reach out to someone
She reached out to catch the falling glass.
The child reached out for the toy on the shelf.
Word forms
| third person singular | reaches out |
|---|---|
| past tense | reached out |
| past participle | reached out |
| -ing form | reaching out |
Common combinations
- reach out to someone
- He reached out to his mentor for guidance.
- reach out for help
- Don't be afraid to reach out for help when you need it.
- reach out and touch
- She reached out and touched his shoulder.
- reach out to the community
- The school reached out to the community for support.
Synonyms and how they differ
- contact
- More formal and general; reach out is often warmer and implies offering help or support.
- get in touch
- Similar meaning, but often used for simple communication, not necessarily with a specific purpose.
Word family
- outreach noun
- The activity of trying to help or connect with people.
Commonly confused: reach out or reach?
reach out vs reach
Reach alone means to arrive at or stretch to; reach out adds the idea of extending toward someone or something, often in communication.
Practice
When you're feeling lonely, it's important to _____ to friends or family.
Choose one answer.
Reach out means to try to communicate with someone. Reach for means to stretch your hand to get something, reach up means to stretch upward, and reach into means to put your hand inside something. Only reach out fits the context of contacting people for support.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “reach out”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.