as in invades
to advance gradually beyond the usual or desirable limits
each year the sea continues to encroach upon the island's beaches
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Recent Examples of encroaches
As the Chinese men shoot the breeze and play cards, a mob of armed white miners gathers over the hill and encroaches on the unsuspecting outsiders.
—
Guy Lodge, Variety, 26 Jan. 2026
Cloud Dancer, a white that is both warm and cool, reflects an overwhelmed feeling among consumers as the world feels louder and technology, in particular AI, encroaches further into our lives.
—Anna Kaufman, USA Today, 4 Dec. 2025
As the third weekend of November encroaches upon us, so does the holiday season — and streaming networks are picking up the cheer in full swing.
—Rebecca Aizin, PEOPLE, 14 Nov. 2025
The study reveals as urbanization increasingly encroaches upon bat-safe caves, invasive, city-dwelling rats are likely to follow.
—NPR, 8 Nov. 2025
Apparently, our west block wall encroaches six feet into our neighbor’s back yard, which includes our swimming pool motor and related equipment.
—Christopher A. Combs, AZCentral.com, 16 Sep. 2025
While a new generation of young singer-songwriters encroaches on country music’s old guard by the day, the Texas barnstormer has found his footing with a fan base hell-bent on capturing every moment Myers affords them.
—Josh Crutchmer, Rolling Stone, 4 Sep. 2025
The rise of fascism encroaches on her like a disease, culminating in a personal invitation from Mussolini himself, but we’re dealt countless scenes of Eleonora’s psychosis before we’re granted a contextual explanation of what feeds it.
—Blake Simons, IndieWire, 3 Sep. 2025
However, if someone encroaches on another traveler's space, the airline may reassign them to a different seat or ask them to take a later flight.
—Emma Marsden, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Aug. 2025
Guy Lodge, Variety, 26 Jan. 2026
Cloud Dancer, a white that is both warm and cool, reflects an overwhelmed feeling among consumers as the world feels louder and technology, in particular AI, encroaches further into our lives.
—Anna Kaufman, USA Today, 4 Dec. 2025
As the third weekend of November encroaches upon us, so does the holiday season — and streaming networks are picking up the cheer in full swing.
—Rebecca Aizin, PEOPLE, 14 Nov. 2025
The study reveals as urbanization increasingly encroaches upon bat-safe caves, invasive, city-dwelling rats are likely to follow.
—NPR, 8 Nov. 2025
Apparently, our west block wall encroaches six feet into our neighbor’s back yard, which includes our swimming pool motor and related equipment.
—Christopher A. Combs, AZCentral.com, 16 Sep. 2025
While a new generation of young singer-songwriters encroaches on country music’s old guard by the day, the Texas barnstormer has found his footing with a fan base hell-bent on capturing every moment Myers affords them.
—Josh Crutchmer, Rolling Stone, 4 Sep. 2025
The rise of fascism encroaches on her like a disease, culminating in a personal invitation from Mussolini himself, but we’re dealt countless scenes of Eleonora’s psychosis before we’re granted a contextual explanation of what feeds it.
—Blake Simons, IndieWire, 3 Sep. 2025
However, if someone encroaches on another traveler's space, the airline may reassign them to a different seat or ask them to take a later flight.
—Emma Marsden, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for encroaches
Verb
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Acute myeloid leukemia begins in the bone marrow and typically invades the bloodstream thereafter, according to the American Cancer Society.—
David Oliver,
USA Today,
17 Mar. 2026
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Single-digit cold invades North Around the same time as the heat starts blasting Phoenix, the polar vortex — a system that usually keeps frigid air penned up near the North Pole — is forecast to send its chill deep into the Midwest and East, even bordering some of the Southeast, Maue said.—
Seth Borenstein,
Los Angeles Times,
13 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The bottom line Concentration risk often creeps into your portfolio over time.—
Doug Ashburn,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
2 Apr. 2026
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But as Mecklenburg County’s sprawl creeps its way into Union County, leaders are looking for ways to preserve the area’s rural feel the farmland that supports it.—
Briah Lumpkins,
Charlotte Observer,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The car inches forward but does not clear the way.—
Erin Jones,
CBS News,
7 Mar. 2026
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Following a bout of social media virality, a scout with Troop 71047 named Pim has sold over 100,000 boxes of cookies and counting, and every sale inches her closer to breaking the record for most Girl Scout Cookies ever sold.—
Kate Perez,
USA Today,
16 Feb. 2026
Verb
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To accommodate the mass of passengers, the line snakes through baggage claim and around the terminal.—
Elizabeth Wolfe,
CNN Money,
26 Mar. 2026
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Miraculously, the line of people that usually snakes down Melrose yearning for a slice of chef Karla Subero Pittol’s passion lime fruit icebox pie is nonexistent today.—
Julissa James,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Encroaches.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/encroaches. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
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