1
as in imperceptible
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2
as in ambling
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Dissimilar Words
1
as in encroaching
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
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2
as in dragging
to move slowly
the car inched carefully across the snow-covered causeway
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Recent Examples of inching
Megan Armstrong, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Mar. 2026
The team is inching toward making history for Fort Worth ISD, as the district has never had a boys soccer state champion.
—Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 30 Mar. 2026
Gas prices are higher in Arizona by more than a dollar from a year before, and the spike was glaring in metro Phoenix where the average price of regular gasoline was quickly inching to $5 per gallon.
—Jose R. Gonzalez, AZCentral.com, 28 Mar. 2026
But Honeywell is inching up, as people anticipate receiving shares of a pure-play aerospace company and an automation and security company.
—Kevin Stankiewicz, CNBC, 27 Mar. 2026
And in a way that feels fitting, Hart is brushing it off while inching closer to a statistical territory few players — even the greatest shooters — have ever touched.
—Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 23 Mar. 2026
Unpaid Transportation Security Administration workers are struggling to stay afloat — and on the job — amid a partial government shutdown that has frustrated travelers inching through security lines that stretch for hours, with wait times only expected to worsen this weekend.
—Alaa Elassar, CNN Money, 21 Mar. 2026
With pro days rolling and the draft inching closer, this is what the first three rounds look like after the market’s first big wave.
—Eddie Brown, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 Mar. 2026
The case, which almost eight years ago made its way to state District Court in San Antonio, where Montelongo lives, may be inching closer to the trial phase.
—Patrick Danner, San Antonio Express-News, 16 Mar. 2026
Verb
The Huskies rejoiced in inching one step closer to capturing back-to-back national championships.
—Megan Armstrong, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Mar. 2026
The team is inching toward making history for Fort Worth ISD, as the district has never had a boys soccer state champion.
—Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 30 Mar. 2026
Gas prices are higher in Arizona by more than a dollar from a year before, and the spike was glaring in metro Phoenix where the average price of regular gasoline was quickly inching to $5 per gallon.
—Jose R. Gonzalez, AZCentral.com, 28 Mar. 2026
But Honeywell is inching up, as people anticipate receiving shares of a pure-play aerospace company and an automation and security company.
—Kevin Stankiewicz, CNBC, 27 Mar. 2026
And in a way that feels fitting, Hart is brushing it off while inching closer to a statistical territory few players — even the greatest shooters — have ever touched.
—Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 23 Mar. 2026
Unpaid Transportation Security Administration workers are struggling to stay afloat — and on the job — amid a partial government shutdown that has frustrated travelers inching through security lines that stretch for hours, with wait times only expected to worsen this weekend.
—Alaa Elassar, CNN Money, 21 Mar. 2026
With pro days rolling and the draft inching closer, this is what the first three rounds look like after the market’s first big wave.
—Eddie Brown, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 Mar. 2026
The case, which almost eight years ago made its way to state District Court in San Antonio, where Montelongo lives, may be inching closer to the trial phase.
—Patrick Danner, San Antonio Express-News, 16 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for inching
Adjective
-
Small, almost imperceptible moments that carried a disproportionate emotional weight.—
Caterina De Biasio,
Vogue,
31 Mar. 2026
-
Others were more imperceptible, like Rihanna on the red carpet with a baby bump.—
Jake Kanter,
Deadline,
18 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Brooks has no interest in the broader sweep of history and, indeed, no apparent knowledge of the philosophical accounts of encroaching meaninglessness which have been on offer for centuries.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
2 Apr. 2026
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Despite the many microphones, cameras and phones recording him — and a huddle of people encroaching on his personal space — Edwards could not stop smiling.—
Shreyas Laddha,
Kansas City Star,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
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But right now, while the press is still bad and the lawsuits are still dragging, sellers should take a breath.—
Matthew Sedacca,
Curbed,
31 Mar. 2026
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The SaaSpocalypse, ultimately, was a knee-jerk, existential reaction to where AI is (slowly, in many contexts) dragging the tech stack.—
Allie Garfinkle,
Fortune,
31 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
His jogging gait is a bit plodding.—
Caleb Yum,
Austin American Statesman,
5 Mar. 2026
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His two-time matchup was Alejandro Kirk, an excellent hitter but, at 5-foot-8 and 245 pounds, a plodding runner.—
Tyler Kepner,
New York Times,
4 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The technology is sweeping almost every profession while also creeping into people’s personal lives, sometimes with devastating consequences.—
Sharon Bernstein,
Sacbee.com,
1 Apr. 2026
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Her works explored Oedipal urges and creeping fascism.—
Laura Regensdorf,
Vogue,
31 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Kirk and other retailers say that sales of tabletop items — everything from tapered candles to plates — are rapid-fire growth drivers, outpacing other categories of decor like bedding and decorative objects.—
The New York Times News Service Syndicate,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
28 Mar. 2026
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Slimmer and tapered cuts (like the ones below) look great on petite frames.—
Jake Henry Smith,
Glamour,
24 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Thomas missed 57 games last season, mostly because of the same lingering left hamstring issue.—
C.J. Holmes,
New York Daily News,
4 Feb. 2026
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On the one hand, that means that many survive the disease without serious lingering effects.—
Katherine J. Wu,
The Atlantic,
18 Dec. 2025
Verb
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Until Isaacman’s program makeover, Artemis III was crawling toward a moon landing no sooner than 2029.—
Marcia Dunn,
Chicago Tribune,
2 Apr. 2026
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One provider recommended a different formula, but Laura responded that her son was burning calories by kicking in his bed, crawling and wheeling around in his wheelchair.—
Amelia Mugavero,
CBS News,
1 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Inching.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inching. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
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