1
as in encroached
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
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2
as in dragged
to move slowly
the car inched carefully across the snow-covered causeway
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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Recent Examples of inched
Gas prices have inched up a couple of cents from last week, getting closer to $4 a gallon in Florida.
—
Miami Herald, 30 Mar. 2026
The number of Americans applying for jobless aid inched up last week as employers continue to retain workers despite a labor market that has weakened considerably in the past year.
—ABC News, 26 Mar. 2026
Penn State neared its fifth consecutive NCAA wrestling championship, and coach Cael Sanderson inched closer to one of the sport’s most hallowed records after Friday’s semifinal action inside Rocket Arena in Cleveland.
—Scott Dochterman, New York Times, 21 Mar. 2026
Although math scores have inched up every year, reading scores remain stagnant, the report shows.
—Moriah Balingit, Los Angeles Times, 17 Mar. 2026
Gas prices in Michigan inched up 4 cents in the past week after seeing a 56-cent spike in the previous week, AAA-The Auto Club Group reported.
—Paula Wethington, CBS News, 16 Mar. 2026
The two sides nevertheless inched closer to a deal.
—Gideon Lewis-Kraus, New Yorker, 14 Mar. 2026
But the men’s truck inched along, allegedly driving as slow as 25 miles an hour on the interstate, where the minimum speed is 40, according to the citation of the incident.
—Eleanor Nash, Kansas City Star, 12 Mar. 2026
Taiwan Semiconductor — The Taiwanese chipmaker's shares inched up about 1% in premarket after the company reported a 30% increase in sales over the first two months of the year.
—Sarah Min, CNBC, 10 Mar. 2026
Miami Herald, 30 Mar. 2026
The number of Americans applying for jobless aid inched up last week as employers continue to retain workers despite a labor market that has weakened considerably in the past year.
—ABC News, 26 Mar. 2026
Penn State neared its fifth consecutive NCAA wrestling championship, and coach Cael Sanderson inched closer to one of the sport’s most hallowed records after Friday’s semifinal action inside Rocket Arena in Cleveland.
—Scott Dochterman, New York Times, 21 Mar. 2026
Although math scores have inched up every year, reading scores remain stagnant, the report shows.
—Moriah Balingit, Los Angeles Times, 17 Mar. 2026
Gas prices in Michigan inched up 4 cents in the past week after seeing a 56-cent spike in the previous week, AAA-The Auto Club Group reported.
—Paula Wethington, CBS News, 16 Mar. 2026
The two sides nevertheless inched closer to a deal.
—Gideon Lewis-Kraus, New Yorker, 14 Mar. 2026
But the men’s truck inched along, allegedly driving as slow as 25 miles an hour on the interstate, where the minimum speed is 40, according to the citation of the incident.
—Eleanor Nash, Kansas City Star, 12 Mar. 2026
Taiwan Semiconductor — The Taiwanese chipmaker's shares inched up about 1% in premarket after the company reported a 30% increase in sales over the first two months of the year.
—Sarah Min, CNBC, 10 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for inched
Verb
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For Andy Lester, chair of the Oklahoma Free Speech Committee, Harrington’s order encroached on the First Amendment.—
JC Hallman,
Oklahoma Watch,
22 Mar. 2026
-
In the last few decades, the bug has encroached from Utah’s Virgin River into prime flycatcher habitat in northern Arizona.—
Shi En Kim,
AZCentral.com,
13 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
His daughter, Erin Gerber, dragged her three-year-old son onto the front lawn when the vehicle approached the driveway.—
Anthony Robledo,
USA Today,
3 Apr. 2026
-
Extortion attempts from that campaign dragged on for months.—
Beatrice Nolan,
Fortune,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Woods was alone in the car and crawled out of the passenger door after the crash.—
Jackson Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
3 Apr. 2026
-
The man who crawled out of that chest would shape how nations justify power for centuries to come.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Over recent decades, the average retirement age has crept steadily up.—
Daniel de Visé,
USA Today,
4 Apr. 2026
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Less than a month after Mark Zuckerberg made a fashion week cameo on Prada’s front row in Milan, Meta has crept back into the fashion conversation.—
Amy O’Brien,
Vogue,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
After the offense was shut out on four hits in Tuesday night’s 2-0 loss to the Angels, Counsell shuffled the lineup.—
Jeff Vorva,
Chicago Tribune,
2 Apr. 2026
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Instead, Meyerson was shuffled to three different ALFs in six months — from Hialeah to Kendall to Homestead.—
Carol Marbin Miller,
Miami Herald,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The Thorns forward poked the ball through and Ball kicked her leg into Wilson’s path, taking her down inside the box.—
Daniel Sperry,
Kansas City Star,
28 Mar. 2026
-
Since then, the president has repeatedly poked at the vulnerability.—
Taryn Luna,
Los Angeles Times,
17 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Inched.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inched. Accessed 7 Apr. 2026.
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