inch 1 of 2

Definition of inchnext
1
2
as in stage
an individual part of a process, series, or ranking inch by inch, we're making progress toward our fund-raising goal

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3
as in height
inches plural 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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inch

2 of 2

verb

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

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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 inch
Noun
Even 6 inches of moving water can pose a serious risk of knocking you off your feet. Nc Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 18 June 2026 Those bags must not exceed 12 inches x 6 inches x 12 inches (30 cm x 30 cm x 15 cm). Michelle Kaufman, Miami Herald, 18 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 An ambulance sounding its siren and inching its way around a crowded corner resulted in joyous cheers. Rustin Dodd, New York Times, 14 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for inch
Recent Examples of Synonyms for inch
Noun
  • Canada has a chance to take a decisive step toward the knockouts against unfancied Qatar, with all four teams in their group level on 1 point after the Qataris earned a surprise tie with Switzerland.
    Andrew Greif, NBC news, 19 June 2026
  • Journalists were involved in every step of the information gathering, review, editing and publishing process.
    Gabby Sartori, USA Today, 19 June 2026
Noun
  • The memorandum signed by leaders of the United States and Iran sets the stage for negotiations over the two issues.
    Joey Garrison, USA Today, 19 June 2026
  • Canada and Qatar drew their first matches, making this an extremely important opportunity for their hopes of advancing out of the group stage.
    Andrew Greif, NBC news, 19 June 2026
Noun
  • The Knicks at the height of the celebrations Thursday.
    Amina Kilpatrick, NBC news, 19 June 2026
  • The book's cover features a photo of Collin and Kate that appears to be taken during the height of Jon & Kate Plus 8's popularity.
    Daniel S. Levine, PEOPLE, 18 June 2026
Verb
  • Brian Crawford and his wife Laura helped form the nonprofit, Protect the Paluxy Valley, to fight against encroaching development impacting the rural area.
    Elizabeth Campbell, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 15 June 2026
  • The informal gathering is typically off to the side in the back of the arena, with media members milling around but not encroaching on their space.
    Sam Amick, New York Times, 10 June 2026
Verb
  • As the conflict in the Middle East has dragged on, pressure has been building on Capitol Hill to intervene.
    Zachary Schermele, USA Today, 18 June 2026
  • In an unprecedented moved in May, Lebanon filed a formal complaint against Iran at the United Nations Security Council, directly accusing Tehran of violating the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations for interfering in its sovereign decisions and dragging the country into war.
    Mireille Rebeiz, The Conversation, 18 June 2026
Noun
  • The family of a woman who was allegedly stabbed in the neck by an inmate while working at Chino's Men's Prison last year has filed a lawsuit against the state of California.
    Zach Boetto, CBS News, 13 June 2026
  • With roughly 1,390 ballots still outstanding, the race remained unsettled, though Ortiz would need to win more than three-quarters of the remaining ballots to overtake him in a contest that has remained neck-and-neck.
    Daniel Lempres, Sacbee.com, 13 June 2026
Noun
  • Either way, the future is bright as one heck of a chapter came to a close Saturday night.
    Steve Millar, Chicago Tribune, 14 June 2026
  • But tornadoes have also cast a dark chapter on Central Florida’s history.
    Martin E. Comas, The Orlando Sentinel, 14 June 2026
Verb
  • As pests crawl through it, its jagged edges scrape their exoskeletons, dehydrating and killing them.
    Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 18 June 2026
  • For cybersecurity companies, identifying a digital agent crawling a website used to be enough evidence of malicious activity.
    Rachyl Jones, semafor.com, 17 June 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Inch.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inch. Accessed 20 Jun. 2026.

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