1
as in step
a very small distance or degree
give them an inch, and they'll take a mile
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
1
as in to encroach
to advance gradually beyond the usual or desirable limits
every year the water inches further up the embankments, threatening to permanently engulf the island city
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of inch
Martha Stewart, 5 Feb. 2026
Drake stopped a few inches shy of that.
—Tim Rohan, NBC news, 5 Feb. 2026
Devyani Chhetri, Dallas Morning News, 4 Feb. 2026
The one-time Sacramento State All-American linebacker was stuck in the snarl of rush-hour traffic in Southern California, his car inching along while his heart and mind were racing.
—Joe Davidson, Sacbee.com, 4 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for inch
Noun
Be sure to broil the salmon at least six inches below the heating element to prevent the crust from burning.
—Martha Stewart, 5 Feb. 2026
Drake stopped a few inches shy of that.
—Tim Rohan, NBC news, 5 Feb. 2026
Verb
Dallas officials are inching closer to a decision about whether to leave or stay at the current City Hall site at 1500 Marilla Street, deliberations that are coinciding with the city’s efforts to keep its NBA team in town.
—Devyani Chhetri, Dallas Morning News, 4 Feb. 2026
The one-time Sacramento State All-American linebacker was stuck in the snarl of rush-hour traffic in Southern California, his car inching along while his heart and mind were racing.
—Joe Davidson, Sacbee.com, 4 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for inch
Recent Examples of Synonyms for inch
Noun
-
Without that key step, you can’t be classified as a true star; the presence of those fusion reactions, where hydrogen gets fused into helium, separates stars from all other heavenly bodies.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
6 Feb. 2026
-
The aircraft transitioned cleanly between modes, a step developers see as critical for scaling eVTOLs beyond short hops.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
6 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Early on in cosmic history, the Universe was composed primarily of hydrogen and helium, as no substantial quantities of heavier elements were formed during the early stages of the hot Big Bang.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
6 Feb. 2026
-
Neither more nor less, really, at this stage.—
Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson,
semafor.com,
6 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The ball of the shoe to the heel has a tapered height, with the heel reaching three inches for a little extra thickness.—
Olivia Dubyak,
Travel + Leisure,
5 Feb. 2026
-
Yabusele is a 6-foot-7 forward who makes up for a slight lack of height with a powerful frame and aggressive approach around the basket.—
Julia Poe,
Chicago Tribune,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Its vessels are also constantly in demand due to Chinese warships encroaching on Taipei’s maritime zones.—
Chris Young,
Interesting Engineering,
9 Feb. 2026
-
In an era where Napster and mp3s began to encroach on sales figures, The Better Life still managed to sell 7 million copies at the turn of the millennium, peaking at Number Seven on the Billboard 200.—
Daniel Kreps,
Rolling Stone,
7 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Demanding papers, dragging away dissenters.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
5 Feb. 2026
-
Slave catchers could capture them, kidnap them and drag them back South.—
Jesse Wright,
Chicago Tribune,
5 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The Punjab provincial government required motorbike riders to install a safety rod between their handlebars to keep kite strings stretched across roads from getting tangled around their necks — a past cause of injury and death.—
Betsy Joles,
NPR,
14 Feb. 2026
-
Be sure to cover your head and neck with your arms, and crawl under a sturdy table if possible.—
CA Earthquake Bot,
Sacbee.com,
14 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The future of the parallel giant slalom at the Games may be uncertain, yet as one chapter closes, Riegler hopes the next generation of racers will still be given the chance to flourish.—
Charlotte Harpur,
New York Times,
9 Feb. 2026
-
While Maryland law would permit him to run again after time out of office, his decision marks the close of a significant chapter in our state’s political life.—
Stuart Schmidt Jr,
Baltimore Sun,
8 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Maybe the girl had crawled under a neighbor's trailer while playing hide-and-seek.—
Kristine Phillips,
IndyStar,
5 Feb. 2026
-
Well, there was a great deal left in me, in an agony of embarrassment looking around for that hole on the floor to crawl into.—
Natalia Sánchez Loayza,
Scientific American,
5 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Inch.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inch. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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