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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
Micah McCartney, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 May 2025
In recent years, a wave of storied Korean conglomerates has made inroads into venture investing.
—Cat Wang, Forbes.com, 15 May 2025
In addition to its viral success, the song is making inroads in the U.S. radio landscape.
—Trevor Anderson, Billboard, 14 May 2025
Now, as Missouri looks to make inroads in recruiting and retaining primary care providers, those communities bear the brunt of the shortages.
—Meg Cunningham, Kansas City Star, 13 May 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 25 May. 2025.
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