Reach vs. Hit — What's the Difference?
By Maham Liaqat & Fiza Rafique — Updated on May 8, 2024
Reach implies extending or stretching out to touch or grasp something, while hit involves striking or coming into contact forcefully.
Difference Between Reach and Hit
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
Reach typically involves a movement where an arm or another part of the body is extended to touch, grasp, or be near something. Whereas hit is the action of physically striking or making contact with someone or something, often with force.
In sports, reach is used to describe the ability of an athlete to extend part of their body to interact with the game (like reaching for a ball), while hit describes the act of making forceful contact, such as in baseball or boxing.
In the context of communication and media, reach can refer to the number of people who receive a message or are exposed to content. On the other hand, hit in this context often refers to something, like a song or movie, becoming extremely popular or successful by making a significant impact on its audience.
Reach in a mechanical or technical context might describe the maximum extent or range of a machine or technology. In contrast, hit can be used to describe the successful execution of a function or operation, as in hitting a target.
Reach also has metaphorical uses, such as reaching a conclusion or an agreement, emphasizing a gradual process towards a goal. Whereas hit in a metaphorical sense can mean suddenly realizing or thinking of something important, like "it hit me".
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Comparison Chart
Definition
To stretch out an arm or tool
To strike with force
Usage in Sports
Extending to catch or touch
Striking a ball or opponent
Metaphorical Meaning
Achieving a goal or conclusion
Sudden realization or success
Usage in Communication
Audience size or extent
Popularity or impact
Physical vs. Metaphorical
Both physical and metaphorical
Mostly physical, some metaphorical
Compare with Definitions
Reach
Stretching capability.
The robot's arm has a reach of two meters.
Hit
Coming into contact.
The paintball hit the target precisely.
Reach
Extending towards something.
She reached for the top shelf.
Hit
To strike something.
The player hit the ball into the stands.
Reach
To achieve a goal.
He finally reached his target sales figures.
Hit
Affecting with impact.
The economic downturn hit them hard.
Reach
Audience or market extent.
The new advertisement campaign significantly increased our reach.
Hit
Realization or idea occurrence.
It suddenly hit me why he was upset.
Reach
A conclusion or agreement.
After hours of discussion, they reached a consensus.
Hit
Achieving sudden success.
Her new song quickly hit the top of the charts.
Reach
Stretch out an arm in a specified direction in order to touch or grasp something
He reached over and turned off his bedside light
She reached out to squeeze Hope's hand
Hit
To come into contact with forcefully; strike
The car hit the guardrail.
Reach
Arrive at; get as far as
The show is due to reach our screens early next year
‘Goodbye,’ she said as they reached the door
Hit
To cause to come into contact
She hit her hand against the wall.
Reach
Sail with the wind blowing from the side of the ship
‘Brighteyes’ was followed round the Goldstone by ‘Patriot’, while ‘Patriot’ white-sail reached
Hit
To deal a blow to
He hit the punching bag.
Reach
An act of reaching out with one's arm
She made a reach for him
Hit
To cause an implement or missile to come forcefully into contact with
Hit the nail with a hammer.
Reach
The extent or range of something's application, effect, or influence
He told a story to illustrate the reach of his fame
Hit
To press or push (a key or button, for example)
Hit the return key by mistake.
Reach
A continuous extent of water, especially a stretch of river between two bends, or the part of a canal between locks
The upper reaches of the Nile
Hit
To reach with a propelled ball or puck
Hit the running back with a pass.
Reach
A distance traversed in reaching
He could sail a clear reach for Key Canaka
Hit
To score in this way
She hit the winning basket.
Reach
To stretch out or put forth (a body part); extend
Reached out an arm.
Hit
To perform (a shot or maneuver) successfully
Couldn't hit the jump shot.
Reach
To touch or grasp by stretching out or extending
Can't reach the shelf.
Hit
To propel with a stroke or blow
Hit the ball onto the green.
Reach
To arrive at; attain
Reached their destination.
Reached a conclusion.
Hit
To execute (a base hit) successfully
Hit a single.
Reach
To succeed in getting in contact with or communicating with
They reached us by phone. Our newsletter reaches a specialized readership.
Hit
To bat against (a pitcher or kind of pitch) successfully
Can't hit a slider.
Reach
To succeed in having an effect on
No one seems able to reach her anymore.
Hit
To affect, especially adversely
The company was hit hard by the recession. Influenza hit the elderly the hardest.
Reach
To extend as far as
The property reaches the shore.
Hit
To be affected by (a negative development)
Their marriage hit a bad patch.
Reach
To project as far as
A distant cry reached our ears.
Hit
To win (a prize, for example), especially in a lottery.
Reach
To travel as far as
A long fly ball that reached the stadium's wall.
Hit
To arise suddenly in the mind of; occur to
It finally hit him that she might be his long-lost sister.
Reach
To aggregate or amount to
Sales reached the millions.
Hit
(Informal) To go to or arrive at
We hit the beach early.
Reach
(Informal) To grasp and hand over to another
Reach me the sugar.
Hit
(Informal) To attain or reach
Monthly sales hit a new high. She hit 40 on her last birthday.
Reach
To extend or move a hand, arm, or other body part, especially when trying to touch or grasp something
Reached for a book.
Reach into a pocket.
Hit
To produce or represent accurately
Trying to hit the right note.
Reach
To have extension in space or time
A coat that reaches to the knee.
A career that reached over several decades.
Hit
(Games) To deal cards to.
Reach
To have an influence or effect
A philosophy that reaches into many disciplines.
Hit
(Sports) To bite on or take (bait or a lure). Used of a fish.
Reach
To make an effort to address the needs of a group or community. Often used with out
A program to reach out to disengaged youth.
Hit
To strike or deal a blow.
Reach
(Nautical) To sail with the wind abeam.
Hit
To come into contact with something; collide.
Reach
The act or an instance of stretching or thrusting out
The frog caught the insect with a sudden reach of its tongue.
Hit
To attack
The raiders hit at dawn.
Reach
The extent or distance something can reach
A boxer with a long reach.
Hit
To happen or occur
The storm hit without warning.
Reach
Range of understanding; comprehension
A subject beyond my reach.
Hit
To achieve or find something desired or sought
Finally hit on the answer.
Hit upon a solution to the problem.
Reach
Range or scope of influence or effect
The reach of the transmitter.
Hit
(Baseball) To bat or bat well
Their slugger hasn't been hitting lately.
Reach
An expanse of land or water, such as a stretch of water visible between bends in a river or channel.
Hit
(Sports) To score by shooting, especially in basketball
Hit on 7 of 8 shots.
Reach
A rank or level in a social group or organization
The lower reaches of society.
Hit
To ignite a mixture of air and fuel in the cylinders. Used of an internal-combustion engine.
Reach
A pole connecting the rear axle of a vehicle with the front.
Hit
A collision or impact.
Reach
(Nautical) The tack of a sailing vessel with the wind abeam.
Hit
A successfully executed shot, blow, thrust, or throw.
Reach
(intransitive) To extend, stretch, or thrust out (for example a limb or object held in the hand).
He reached for a weapon that was on the table.
He reached for his shoe with his legs.
Hit
(Sports) A deliberate collision with an opponent, such as a body check in ice hockey.
Reach
(transitive) To give to someone by stretching out a limb, especially the hand; to give with the hand; to pass to another person; to hand over.
To reach one a book
Hit
A successful or popular venture
A Broadway hit.
Reach
(intransitive) To stretch out the hand.
Hit
A match of data in a search string against data that one is searching.
Reach
(transitive) To attain or obtain by stretching forth the hand; to extend some part of the body, or something held, so as to touch, strike, grasp, etc.
To reach an object with the hand, or with a spear
“I can't quite reach the pepper. Could you pass it to me?”
The gun was stored in a small box on a high closet shelf, but the boy managed to reach it by climbing on other boxes.
Hit
A connection made to a website over the internet or another network
Our company's website gets about 250,000 hits daily.
Reach
To strike or touch.
His bullet reached its intended target.
Hit
An apt or effective remark.
Reach
To extend an action, effort, or influence to; to penetrate to; to pierce, or cut.
Hit
Abbr. H(Baseball) A base hit.
Reach
(transitive) To extend to; to stretch out as far as; to touch by virtue of extent.
His hand reaches the river
When the forest reaches the river, you will be able to rest.
Hit
A dose of a narcotic drug.
Reach
(transitive) To arrive at (a place) by effort of any kind.
After three years, he reached the position of manager.
The climbers reached the top of the mountain after a gruelling ten-day hike.
Hit
A puff of a cigarette or a pipe.
Reach
To make contact with.
I tried to reach you all day.
Hit
(Slang) A murder planned and carried out usually by a member of an underworld syndicate.
Reach
To connect with (someone) on an emotional level, making them receptive of (one); to get through to (someone).
What will it take for me to reach him?
Hit
To strike.
Reach
To arrive at a particular destination.
Hit
(transitive) To administer a blow to, directly or with a weapon or missile.
One boy hit the other.
Reach
(transitive) To continue living until or up to (a certain age).
You can only access the inheritance money when you reach the age of 25.
Hit
(transitive) To come into contact with forcefully and suddenly.
The ball hit the fence.
Reach
(obsolete) To understand; to comprehend.
Hit
(intransitive) To strike against something.
Reach
To strain after something; to make (sometimes futile or pretentious) efforts.
Reach for your dreams.
Reach for the stars!
Hit
(transitive) To activate a button or key by pressing and releasing it.
Hit the Enter key to continue.
Reach
(intransitive) To extend in dimension, time etc.; to stretch out continuously (past, beyond, above, from etc. something).
Hit
To kill a person, usually on the instructions of a third party.
Hit him tonight and throw the body in the river.
Reach
(nautical) To sail on the wind, as from one point of tacking to another, or with the wind nearly abeam.
Hit
To attack, especially amphibiously.
If intelligence had been what it should have been, I don't think we'd ever have hit that island.
Reach
To arrive at a particular destination, especially to join someone; to meet up.
What time you reaching tomorrow?
Hit
To affect someone, as if dealing a blow to that person.
Their coffee really hits the spot.
I used to listen to that song all the time, but it hits different(ly) now.
Reach
The act of stretching or extending; extension.
Hit
To manage to touch (a target) in the right place.
I hit the jackpot.
Reach
The ability to reach or touch with the person, a limb, or something held or thrown.
The fruit is beyond my reach.
To be within reach of cannon shot
Hit
To switch on.
Somebody's been here! Hit the lights!
Reach
The power of stretching out or extending action, influence, or the like; power of attainment or management; extent of force or capacity.
Hit
To briefly visit.
We hit the grocery store on the way to the park.
Reach
Extent; stretch; expanse; hence, application; influence; result; scope.
Hit
To encounter an obstacle or other difficulty.
We hit a lot of traffic coming back from the movies.
Reach
(informal) An exaggeration; an extension beyond evidence or normal; a stretch.
To call George eloquent is certainly a reach.
Hit
(heading) To attain, to achieve.
Reach
(boxing) The distance a boxer's arm can extend to land a blow.
Hit
To reach or achieve.
The movie hits theaters in December.
The temperature could hit 110°F tomorrow.
We hit Detroit at one in the morning but kept driving through the night.
Reach
(nautical) Any point of sail in which the wind comes from the side of a vessel, excluding close-hauled.
Hit
(intransitive) To meet or reach what was aimed at or desired; to succeed, often by luck.
Reach
(nautical) The distance traversed between tacks.
Hit
To guess; to light upon or discover.
Reach
(nautical) A stretch of a watercourse which can be sailed in one reach (in the previous sense). An extended portion of water; a stretch; a straightish portion of a stream, river, or arm of the sea extending up into the land, as from one turn to another. By extension, the adjacent land.
Hit
(transitive) To affect negatively.
The economy was hit by a recession.
The hurricane hit his fishing business hard.
Reach
A level stretch of a watercourse, as between rapids in a river or locks in a canal. (examples?)
Hit
(metaphorically) To attack.
Reach
An extended portion or area of land or water.
Hit
To make a play.
Reach
(obsolete) An article to obtain an advantage.
Hit
In blackjack, to deal a card to.
Hit me.
Reach
The pole or rod connecting the rear axle with the forward bolster of a wagon.
Hit
To come up to bat.
Jones hit for the pitcher.
Reach
(obsolete or dialect) retch.
Hit
(backgammon) To take up, or replace by a piece belonging to the opposing player; said of a single unprotected piece on a point.
Reach
To retch.
Hit
To use; to connect to.
The external web servers hit DBSRV7, but the internal web server hits DBSRV3.
Reach
To extend; to stretch; to thrust out; to put forth, as a limb, a member, something held, or the like.
Her tresses yellow, and long straughten,Unto her heeles down they raughten.
Reach hither thy hand and thrust it into my side.
Fruit trees, over woody, reached too farTheir pampered boughs.
Hit
To inhale an amount of smoke from a narcotic substance, particularly marijuana.
Reach
Hence, to deliver by stretching out a member, especially the hand; to give with the hand; to pass to another; to hand over; as, to reach one a book.
He reached me a full cup.
Hit
(of an exercise) to affect, to work a body part.
This is another great exercise which hits the long head.
Reach
To attain or obtain by stretching forth the hand; to extend some part of the body, or something held by one, so as to touch, strike, grasp, or the like; as, to reach an object with the hand, or with a spear.
O patron power, . . . thy present aid afford,Than I may reach the beast.
Hit
To work out
With that said, the group hitting their legs just once a week still made gains.
Reach
To strike, hit, or touch with a missile; as, to reach an object with an arrow, a bullet, or a shell.
Hit
A blow; a punch; a striking against; the collision of one body against another; the stroke that touches anything.
The hit was very slight.
Reach
Hence, to extend an action, effort, or influence to; to penetrate to; to pierce, or cut, as far as.
If these examples of grown men reach not the case of children, let them examine.
Hit
Something very successful, such as a song, film, or video game, that receives widespread recognition and acclaim.
Reach
To extend to; to stretch out as far as; to touch by virtue of extent; as, his land reaches the river.
Thy desire . . . leads to no excessThat reaches blame.
Hit
An attack on a location, person or people.
Reach
To arrive at; to come to; to get as far as.
Before this letter reaches your hands.
Hit
A collision of a projectile with the target.
Reach
To arrive at by effort of any kind; to attain to; to gain; to be advanced to.
The best account of the appearances of nature which human penetration can reach, comes short of its reality.
Hit
In the game of Battleship, a correct guess at where one's opponent ship is.
Reach
To understand; to comprehend.
Do what, sir? I reach you not.
Hit
A match found by searching a computer system or search engine
Reach
To overreach; to deceive.
Hit
(Internet) A measured visit to a web site, a request for a single file from a web server.
My site received twice as many hits after being listed in a search engine.
Reach
To stretch out the hand.
Goddess humane, reach, then, and freely taste!
Hit
An approximately correct answer in a test set.
Reach
To strain after something; to make efforts.
Reaching above our nature does no good.
Hit
(baseball) The complete play, when the batter reaches base without the benefit of a walk, error, or fielder’s choice.
The catcher got a hit to lead off the fifth.
Reach
To extend in dimension, time, amount, action, influence, etc., so as to touch, attain to, or be equal to, something.
And behold, a ladder set upon the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven.
The new world reaches quite across the torrid zone.
Hit
(colloquial) A dose of an illegal or addictive drug.
Where am I going to get my next hit?
Reach
To sail on the wind, as from one point of tacking to another, or with the wind nearly abeam.
He would be in the posture of the mind reaching after a positive idea of infinity.
Hit
A premeditated murder done for criminal or political purposes.
Reach
An effort to vomit.
Hit
(dated) A peculiarly apt expression or turn of thought; a phrase which hits the mark.
A happy hit
Reach
The act of stretching or extending; extension; power of reaching or touching with the person, or a limb, or something held or thrown; as, the fruit is beyond my reach; to be within reach of cannon shot.
Hit
(backgammon) A move that throws one of the opponent's men back to the entering point.
Reach
The power of stretching out or extending action, influence, or the like; power of attainment or management; extent of force or capacity.
Drawn by others who had deeper reaches than themselves to matters which they least intended.
Be sure yourself and your own reach to know.
Hit
(backgammon) A game won after the adversary has removed some of his men. It counts for less than a gammon.
Reach
Extent; stretch; expanse; hence, application; influence; result; scope.
And on the left hand, hell,With long reach, interposed.
I am to pray you not to strain my speechTo grosser issues, nor to larger reachThan to suspicion.
Hit
Very successful.
The band played their hit song to the delight of the fans.
Reach
An extended portion of land or water; a stretch; a straight portion of a stream or river, as from one turn to another; a level stretch, as between locks in a canal; an arm of the sea extending up into the land.
The coast . . . is very full of creeks and reaches.
Hit
(dialectal) It.
Reach
An artifice to obtain an advantage.
The Duke of Parma had particular reaches and ends of his own underhand to cross the design.
Hit
It.
Reach
The pole or rod which connects the hind axle with the forward bolster of a wagon.
Hit
To reach with a stroke or blow; to strike or touch, usually with force; especially, to reach or touch (an object aimed at).
I think you have hit the mark.
Reach
The limits within which something can be effective;
Range of motion
He was beyond the reach of their fire
Hit
To reach or attain exactly; to meet according to the occasion; to perform successfully; to attain to; to accord with; to be conformable to; to suit.
Birds learning tunes, and their endeavors to hit the notes right.
There you hit him; . . . that argument never fails with him.
Whose saintly visage is too brightTo hit the sense of human sight.
He scarcely hit my humor.
Reach
An area in which something acts or operates or has power or control:
The range of a supersonic jet
The ambit of municipal legislation
Within the compass of this article
Within the scope of an investigation
Outside the reach of the law
In the political orbit of a world power
Hit
To guess; to light upon or discover.
Reach
The act of physically reaching or thrusting out
Hit
To take up, or replace by a piece belonging to the opposing player; - said of a single unprotected piece on a point.
Reach
The limit of capability;
Within the compass of education
Hit
To meet or come in contact; to strike; to clash; - followed by against or on.
If bodies be extension alone, how can they move and hit one against another?
Corpuscles, meeting with or hitting on those bodies, become conjoined with them.
Reach
Reach a destination, either real or abstract;
We hit Detroit by noon
The water reached the doorstep
We barely made it to the finish line
I have to hit the MAC machine before the weekend starts
Hit
To meet or reach what was aimed at or desired; to succeed, - often with implied chance, or luck.
And oft it hitsWhere hope is coldest and despair most fits.
And millions miss for one that hits.
Reach
Reach a point in time, or a certain state or level;
The thermometer hit 100 degrees
This car can reach a speed of 140 miles per hour
Hit
A striking against; the collision of one body against another; the stroke that touches anything.
So he the famed Cilician fencer praised,And, at each hit, with wonder seems amazed.
Reach
Move forward or upward in order to touch; also in a metaphorical sense;
Government reaches out to the people
Hit
A stroke of success in an enterprise, as by a fortunate chance; as, he made a hit;
What late he called a blessing, now was wit,And God's good providence, a lucky hit.
Reach
Be in or establish communication with;
Our advertisements reach millions
He never contacted his children after he emigrated to Australia
Hit
A peculiarly apt expression or turn of thought; a phrase which hits the mark; as, a happy hit.
Reach
To gain with effort;
She achieved her goal despite setbacks
Hit
A game won at backgammon after the adversary has removed some of his men. It counts less than a gammon.
Reach
To extend as far as;
The sunlight reached the wall
Can he reach?
The chair must not touch the wall
Hit
A striking of the ball; as, a safe hit; a foul hit; - sometimes used specifically for a base hit.
Reach
Reach a goal, e.g.,
Make the first team
We made it!
She may not make the grade
Hit
An act of murder performed for hire, esp. by a professional assassin.
Reach
Place into the hands or custody of;
Hand me the spoon, please
Turn the files over to me, please
He turned over the prisoner to his lawyers
Hit
(baseball) a successful stroke in an athletic contest (especially in baseball);
He came all the way around on Williams' hit
Reach
To exert much effort or energy;
Straining our ears to hear
Hit
The act of contacting one thing with another;
Repeated hitting raised a large bruise
After three misses she finally got a hit
Hit
A conspicuous success;
That song was his first hit and marked the beginning of his career
That new Broadway show is a real smasher
The party went with a bang
Hit
(physics) an brief event in which two or more bodies come together;
The collision of the particles resulted in an exchange of energy and a change of direction
Hit
A dose of a narcotic drug
Hit
A murder carried out by an underworld syndicate;
It has all the earmarks of a Mafia hit
Hit
A connection made via the internet to another website;
WordNet gets many hits from users worldwide
Hit
Cause to move by striking;
Hit a ball
Hit
Hit against; come into sudden contact with;
The car hit a tree
He struck the table with his elbow
Hit
Affect or afflict suddenly, usually adversely;
We were hit by really bad weather
He was stricken with cancer when he was still a teenager
The earthquake struck at midnight
Hit
Deal a blow to, either with the hand or with an instrument;
He hit her hard in the face
Hit
Reach a destination, either real or abstract;
We hit Detroit by noon
The water reached the doorstep
We barely made it to the finish line
I have to hit the MAC machine before the weekend starts
Hit
Reach a point in time, or a certain state or level;
The thermometer hit 100 degrees
This car can reach a speed of 140 miles per hour
Hit
Hit with a missile from a weapon
Hit
Cause to experience suddenly;
Panic struck me
An interesting idea hit her
A thought came to me
The thought struck terror in our minds
They were struck with fear
Hit
Make a strategic, offensive, assault against an enemy, opponent, or a target;
The Germans struck Poland on Sept. 1, 1939
We must strike the enemy's oil fields
In the fifth inning, the Giants struck, sending three runners home to win the game 5 to 2
Hit
Hit the intended target or goal
Hit
Produce by manipulating keys or strings of musical instruments, also metaphorically;
The pianist strikes a middle C
Strike `z' on the keyboard
Her comments struck a sour note
Hit
Encounter by chance;
I stumbled across a long-lost cousin last night in a restaurant
Hit
Gain points in a game;
The home team scored many times
He hit a home run
He hit .300 in the past season
Hit
Consume to excess;
Hit the bottle
Hit
Kill intentionally and with premeditation;
The mafia boss ordered his enemies murdered
Hit
Drive something violently into a location;
He hit his fist on the table
She struck her head on the low ceiling
Common Curiosities
What does 'reach' imply in everyday language?
Reach implies extending towards something or achieving a metaphorical goal.
How does 'hit' convey impact in media?
In media, a hit typically describes a song, movie, or show that becomes very popular or successful.
Can 'reach' and 'hit' be used interchangeably in sports?
No, in sports, reach is about extending to interact, while hit involves striking.
How is 'hit' commonly used?
Hit is commonly used to describe making a forceful contact or achieving quick success.
What variations of 'reach' are seen in mechanics?
In mechanics, reach describes the range or extent of movement of a component.
Is 'reach' used metaphorically?
Yes, reach can be used metaphorically to describe achieving goals or conclusions.
What physical actions are associated with 'hit'?
Physical actions associated with hit include striking, punching, or slamming.
What type of success is referred to by 'hit'?
Hit refers to rapid and often unexpected success, like in entertainment.
What does 'reach' mean in marketing?
In marketing, reach refers to the total number of people exposed to a campaign.
Does 'hit' have a negative connotation?
Hit can have a negative connotation when associated with violence or impact.
Are there non-physical uses of 'hit'?
Yes, non-physical uses include achieving success or a sudden realization.
How do you measure 'reach' in communications?
Reach in communications is measured by audience size or content engagement.
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Maham Liaqat
Co-written by
Fiza RafiqueFiza Rafique is a skilled content writer at AskDifference.com, where she meticulously refines and enhances written pieces. Drawing from her vast editorial expertise, Fiza ensures clarity, accuracy, and precision in every article. Passionate about language, she continually seeks to elevate the quality of content for readers worldwide.
