inches 1 of 2

plural of inch
as in height
the distance of something or someone from bottom to top made the most of her inches by standing on her tiptoes to reach the top shelf

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inches

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of inch
1
as in encroaches
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

2

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of inches
Noun
Put peeled and sliced Yukon Gold potatoes in a large saucepan, cover with water by 2 inches, and add a generous couple of pinches of salt. Karla Walsh, Better Homes & Gardens, 3 July 2026 Five to 10 inches of rain are possible from Sunday morning through Wednesday afternoon. Kenton Gewecke, ABC News, 3 July 2026 Small Holes One sign of snakes in your garden could be the sudden appearance of small holes that could be about the size of a small coin, or up to two inches. Ashley Chalmers, The Spruce, 3 July 2026 Reduce watering frequency, and let the top few inches of soil dry out before watering again. Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 3 July 2026 Trump, who is 6 feet 3 inches tall, weighs around 238 pounds, according to his May 2026 physical. Emily Robertson, The Washington Examiner, 3 July 2026 Egypt’s Omar Marmoush came within inches of doubling his team’s lead off the opening kickoff of the second half. Jacob Lev, CNN Money, 3 July 2026 The hardest part of building the hotel, Jones admitted, would be the acrylic—curved and clear windows for panoramic views, four inches thick, and strong enough to hold back the sea. Bill Gourgey, Popular Science, 2 July 2026 Even 6 inches of moving water can pose a serious risk of knocking you off your feet. Nc Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 28 June 2026
Verb
The rest of the film drags, the pacing falters, and the story inches toward a mediocre conclusion. Brianna Zigler, Entertainment Weekly, 15 June 2026 Every generation inches it forward. Anne Thompson, IndieWire, 28 May 2026 With yet another cliffhanger in tow, Paula inches closer and closer to the truth — and certain danger — setting off a cat-and-mouse game drawing the mom further into Dennis’ criminal orbit. Natalie Oganesyan, Deadline, 24 May 2026 The car inches forward but does not clear the way. Erin Jones, CBS News, 7 Mar. 2026 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 Sierra Canyon will host Crespi on Saturday as the team inches closer to an undefeated Mission League campaign. Dan Lovi, Daily News, 22 Jan. 2026 Republicans can comfort themselves that a win is still a win—and that their House majority inches up to 220–213, at least until other vacancies kick in. Newsweek Editors, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Dec. 2025 The news comes as Hendricks Commercial Properties inches closer to a massive overhaul of the mall that could take years to complete. Jenny Porter Tilley, IndyStar, 21 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for inches
Noun
  • The new boat actively stabilizes its ride height, roll, and pitch to minimize deck motion, ensuring safe pilot transfers even at high speeds.
    Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 29 June 2026
  • Raise mowing height during dry spells to promote deeper roots and conserve soil moisture.
    Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 29 June 2026
Verb
  • As long as nothing encroaches on their territories, these mega-caps can continue to invent and profit with their core businesses generating consistent gains.
    Jim Cramer, CNBC, 28 June 2026
  • This revival finds new power in the intimate story of a family learning to love again set against one of the most consequential moments of the twentieth century, as the Nazi regime rises to power and authoritarianism encroaches on daily life.
    Greg Evans, Deadline, 23 June 2026
Verb
  • Stanford research on more than 100,000 developers found that teams often feel quicker with AI early on, while at the same time racking up technical debt that drags on them later.
    Neo Lee, Forbes.com, 29 June 2026
  • Frieson then appears, drags her by the arm, and closes the door.
    Nate Gartrell, Mercury News, 29 June 2026
Noun
  • The 10 counties with the lowest percentage of households with AC in the continental United States were all located in coastal areas in California and Oregon, or in the higher elevations of Colorado.
    Ignacio Calderon, USA Today, 3 July 2026
  • Apiri recently expanded with an adjacent wine-tasting and events space, Ferment Artisan Lab, where oenophiles can get to know the island’s limestone-rich elevations through a taste of some of the best local producers.
    Shannon McMahon, Condé Nast Traveler, 1 July 2026
Verb
  • Seltz’s system crawls hundreds of millions of pages a day, and returns results in under 200 milliseconds.
    Jeremy Kahn, Fortune, 24 June 2026
  • At sunset, the city starts glowing around you while traffic crawls silently below.
    Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 28 May 2026
Verb
  • Misalignment creeps in simply because a high volume of choices are handed off to local leaders operating under distinct market pressures.
    Peter Ross, Forbes.com, 25 June 2026
  • As our conversation extends into the hour mark, her hood creeps upward along the side of her face most visible to those around us.
    José Criales-Unzueta, Vanity Fair, 23 June 2026
Verb
  • The second is a vent which pokes out above your clothes, to move warm air away from you.
    David Phelan, Forbes.com, 26 June 2026
  • Perched on a finger of land that pokes into Lebanon, Metula is usually crowded with tourists this time of year.
    Tal Shalev, CNN Money, 23 June 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Inches.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inches. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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