encroached

past tense of encroach
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

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 encroached 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 The England international encroached on goal, still in a promising three-on-three situation. James McNicholas, New York Times, 18 Aug. 2025 Bison were wiped out as European settlers encroached on Native lands in the 1800s. Elizabeth Hernandez, Denver Post, 7 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for encroached
Verb
  • The wildfires ignited Tuesday as a monsoonal storm crept north across the state, unleashing more than 9,000 lightning strikes, according to Cal Fire.
    Sacbee.com, Sacbee.com, 3 Sep. 2025
  • Wall Street’s fear gauge, the CBOE Volatility Index, surged 15% on Tuesday as jitters crept back onto Wall Street.
    John Towfighi, CNN Money, 2 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • The president framed efforts to end the foreign war, which began when Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, as a matter of duty.
    Michael Loria, USA Today, 3 Sep. 2025
  • Squandered Opportunities for Venezuela After Russia invaded Ukraine, the Biden administration tried to induce Venezuelan cooperation with sanctions relief.
    Wesley Alexander Hill, Forbes.com, 3 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Lines snaked around every outside court, contrasting sharply with the ones only in use for practice, sparsely and quietly populated with players honing their skills for the bigger stages.
    Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 27 Aug. 2025
  • Hundreds of energized voters snaked around Union Square on Sunday afternoon, as New Yorkers sought one of the limited Zohran Mamdani Scavenger Hunt cards at the first clue stop.
    Mandy Taheri, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Aug. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Encroached.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/encroached. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.

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