1. instances of reaching or stretching too far; attempts to grasp or achieve something beyond one's capacity or authority
Usage: plural form; often used in legal or political contexts
2. acts of deceiving or cheating someone; fraudulent or dishonest dealings
Usage: plural form; archaic or formal usage

Examples

• The court ruled that the agency's overreachings violated constitutional limits on executive power.
• His overreachings in business dealings eventually led to his downfall.
• The committee investigated the senator's overreachings into matters outside her jurisdiction.
• Their overreachings to expand the company too quickly resulted in financial losses.
• The judge criticized the prosecutor's overreachings during the trial.
• Historical overreachings by colonial powers shaped modern international law.