Reach out means to contact someone to ask for help, offer it or start a conversation. The phrase is common in work emails: Feel free to reach out. The literal meaning is to stretch out your hand: She reached out and took the keys.
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reach out to + person/company; reach out for help; feel free to reach out
- If you get stuck on the task, reach out to Anna, because she built the first version.
- After moving to Manchester, I reached out to a local language club to meet new people.
- The little boy reached out and took my hand as we crossed the road.
What changed
First versionIf you need help with your visa, address to our office.
RevisionIf you need help with your visa, reach out to our office.
“Address to” can look like a formal way to say “contact”. But “address” means to give a speech to people or to put an address on a letter, and it is not used for asking for help. You need “reach out to”: “reach out to our office”.
“Reach out” sounds friendly and a little informal. In a formal letter, “contact” is more common: Please contact the admissions office. And “reach” without “out” means to manage to speak to someone, usually by phone: I couldn't reach him all day.
Your turn
A few days after the interview, I ___ the recruiter to ask about the next steps.
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reached out to — When you name the person after “reach out”, you need “to” before them: “reached out to the recruiter”. Without “to”, the sentence is wrong, because “reach out” cannot take a person directly.
Write a line for a work email saying who people can contact with questions and on what topic.
If you have any questions about the new schedule, please reach out to Maria in HR.
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