as in crept
to advance gradually beyond the usual or desirable limits
each year the sea continues to encroach upon the island's beaches
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of encroached
In an era when IP is king at the theatrical box office, particularly when it’s encroached upon by streaming, what’s the trick to figuring out if an original project can play to a mass audience or a Gen Z one?
—
Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 22 Jan. 2026
Palace intrigue encroached on his confidence at times.
—Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 6 Jan. 2026
Lucah's second tooth had encroached, blocking the path for his right front tooth, which remains recessed in his gums, his mother said.
—Beth Warren, Nashville Tennessean, 8 Dec. 2025
And anyone who disagrees clearly has never had their privacy encroached on, children or not.
—Kayla Grant, PEOPLE, 12 Nov. 2025
The ads have now encroached into social media without proper disclosures with many online pharmacies not following the same rules that many pharmaceutical companies follow, a senior White House official said.
—Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy, USA Today, 9 Sep. 2025
From the deadly 2025 Los Angeles fires to the devastating 2019-2020 Australian bushfires and the 2018 wildfire in Athens, Greece, flames have increasingly encroached upon human settlements, claiming lives and livelihoods.
—Seyd Teymoor Seydi, The Conversation, 21 Aug. 2025
In the post, the woman described a situation in which the man seated next to her allegedly encroached on her space during the flight, with his thigh pressed against hers and the shared armrest raised.
—Soo Kim, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 Aug. 2025
Developers encroached with high-rise condos on all sides as the neighborhood transitioned from a commercial train depot with day laborers, mechanics, and seamstresses to trendy and touristy.
—Carlos Frías, Bon Appetit Magazine, 19 Aug. 2025
Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 22 Jan. 2026
Palace intrigue encroached on his confidence at times.
—Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 6 Jan. 2026
Lucah's second tooth had encroached, blocking the path for his right front tooth, which remains recessed in his gums, his mother said.
—Beth Warren, Nashville Tennessean, 8 Dec. 2025
And anyone who disagrees clearly has never had their privacy encroached on, children or not.
—Kayla Grant, PEOPLE, 12 Nov. 2025
The ads have now encroached into social media without proper disclosures with many online pharmacies not following the same rules that many pharmaceutical companies follow, a senior White House official said.
—Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy, USA Today, 9 Sep. 2025
From the deadly 2025 Los Angeles fires to the devastating 2019-2020 Australian bushfires and the 2018 wildfire in Athens, Greece, flames have increasingly encroached upon human settlements, claiming lives and livelihoods.
—Seyd Teymoor Seydi, The Conversation, 21 Aug. 2025
In the post, the woman described a situation in which the man seated next to her allegedly encroached on her space during the flight, with his thigh pressed against hers and the shared armrest raised.
—Soo Kim, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 Aug. 2025
Developers encroached with high-rise condos on all sides as the neighborhood transitioned from a commercial train depot with day laborers, mechanics, and seamstresses to trendy and touristy.
—Carlos Frías, Bon Appetit Magazine, 19 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for encroached
Verb
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And this wouldn’t be the first time that a traditional signifier of masculinity crept back into mainstream culture by way of performative half jokes.—
Daniel Engber,
The Atlantic,
20 Feb. 2026
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Beside her, the crowd crept forward, wrapping around Our Lady of Mount Carmel with Cupich at the front.—
Tess Kenny,
Chicago Tribune,
19 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Russia invaded Ukraine four years ago this month.—
Bradley Gitz,
Arkansas Online,
16 Feb. 2026
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Peppers are prone to being invaded by aphids, spider mites, and other pests until rosemary plants come and save the day.—
Ashlyn Needham,
The Spruce,
16 Feb. 2026
Verb
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On Saturday, the order line at Café Corazón had more energy than usual as a conga line snaked through hundreds of guests to a DJ playing Latin pop in the café’s intimate lobby.—
Kendrick Calfee,
Kansas City Star,
14 Feb. 2026
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Irrigation tubes snaked across the craters of empty plant holes.—
Rachel Becker,
Los Angeles Times,
12 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Encroached.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/encroached. Accessed 22 Feb. 2026.
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