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Inroad is a combination of in and road, both of which are pretty mundane, as far as words go. But the first-and-oldest-meaning of inroad hints at a meaning of road other than the "way for traveling" one. Beginning back in the days of Old English, road referred to an armed hostile incursion made on horseback. (Raid comes from this use of road and also formerly specified incursions on horseback.) Road, as well as inroad, has lost its violent connotation. While inroads are often made at the expense of someone or something, they are at times simply advances, as when an artist is said to be "making inroads into a community."
Examples of inroad in a Sentence
Andrew Stanton, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2025
Ciattarelli came within three points of winning four years ago, and that was before Trump made unexpected inroads with Hispanic voters.
—Philip Elliott, Time, 3 Nov. 2025
The Republicans made significant inroads in New Jersey, Chris.
—ABC News, 2 Nov. 2025
The city has made some inroads this year, thanks in large part to a multi-family housing incentive program that has shaved development fees and taxes, making some projects feasible to build again.
—Devan Patel, Mercury News, 29 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for inroad
Cite this Entry
“Inroad.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/inroad. Accessed 11 Nov. 2025.
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