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
Relevance
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
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
The England international encroached on goal, still in a promising three-on-three situation.
—James McNicholas, New York Times, 18 Aug. 2025
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
The England international encroached on goal, still in a promising three-on-three situation.
—James McNicholas, New York Times, 18 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for encroached
Verb
-
But then the Broncos’ offensive woes crept back to the forefront.—
Shaun Goodwin,
Idaho Statesman,
8 Jan. 2026
-
Individual mistakes crept into a squad that was already low on confidence from the end of Erik ten Hag’s managerial reign.—
Carl Anka,
New York Times,
5 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Our country just invaded Venezuela and captured its president, who admittedly was a bad guy.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
9 Jan. 2026
-
There’s no way Trump would have invaded Venezuela if that country didn’t have vast deposits of oil.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
8 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
By noontime, the line snaked away from the entrance for several blocks.—
Théoden Janes,
Charlotte Observer,
10 Jan. 2026
-
Few people are venturing from their homes, although businesses have begun to reopen and the long lines that had snaked outside the few pharmacies and supermarkets that were operational over the weekend are disappearing.—
Matt Nighswander,
NBC news,
7 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Encroached.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/encroached. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share