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Inroad is a combination of in and road, both of which are pretty mundane, as far as words go. But the first-and-oldest-meaning of inroad hints at a meaning of road other than the "way for traveling" one. Beginning back in the days of Old English, road referred to an armed hostile incursion made on horseback. (Raid comes from this use of road and also formerly specified incursions on horseback.) Road, as well as inroad, has lost its violent connotation. While inroads are often made at the expense of someone or something, they are at times simply advances, as when an artist is said to be "making inroads into a community."
Examples of inroad in a Sentence
Dave Goldiner, New York Daily News, 23 Apr. 2025
This is helping foreign sellers make inroads in English-speaking markets.
—Elaine Pofeldt, Forbes.com, 22 Apr. 2025
Chinese films are also making unprecedented inroads in European markets.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 20 Apr. 2025
However, Gift warned that while Musk and DOGE's declining popularity could energize the Democratic base, the party still needs a compelling, positive agenda to make significant inroads.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for inroad
Cite this Entry
“Inroad.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/inroad. Accessed 1 May. 2025.
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