impinge

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verb im·pinge \im-ˈpinj\

Definition of impinge

impinged

;

impinging

intransitive verb
1 : to strike or dash especially with a sharp collision I heard the rain impinge upon the earth — James Joyce
2 : to have an effect : make an impression waiting for the germ of a new idea to impinge upon my mind — Phyllis Bentley
3 : encroach, infringe impinge on other people's rights

impingement

play \im-ˈpinj-mənt\ noun

See impinge defined for English-language learners

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Examples of impinge in a Sentence

hail was noisily impinging upon the car's exterior

Recent Examples of impinge from the Web

Libertarianism prizes freedom and autonomy, expressing skepticism of taxes, regulations, and any other version of state power that impinges on individual sovereignty.

— rachel riederer, New Republic, "Libertarians Seek a Home on the High Seas", 29 May 2017
And presently, definitely, magically, a thin silver stain began to form in the tube where the flame impinged on it.

— deborah blum, WIRED, "The Chemistry of the Murder Mystery (1)", 3 Apr. 2013

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'impinge'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.