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
For Andy Lester, chair of the Oklahoma Free Speech Committee, Harrington’s order encroached on the First Amendment.
—
Jc Hallman, Oklahoma Watch, 22 Mar. 2026
In the last few decades, the bug has encroached from Utah’s Virgin River into prime flycatcher habitat in northern Arizona.
—Shi En Kim, AZCentral.com, 13 Mar. 2026
In a filing late Friday, the DOJ argued that each of the four judges erred in their judgements and unlawfully encroached on the president’s power.
—Peter Charalambous, ABC News, 7 Mar. 2026
In their court arguments, the environmental groups have maintained that the detention center encroached on the habitat of the Florida Panther.
—Ashley Miznazi, Miami Herald, 5 Mar. 2026
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
Jc Hallman, Oklahoma Watch, 22 Mar. 2026
In the last few decades, the bug has encroached from Utah’s Virgin River into prime flycatcher habitat in northern Arizona.
—Shi En Kim, AZCentral.com, 13 Mar. 2026
In a filing late Friday, the DOJ argued that each of the four judges erred in their judgements and unlawfully encroached on the president’s power.
—Peter Charalambous, ABC News, 7 Mar. 2026
In their court arguments, the environmental groups have maintained that the detention center encroached on the habitat of the Florida Panther.
—Ashley Miznazi, Miami Herald, 5 Mar. 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for encroached
Verb
-
Controversies like those surrounding Gilgan’s column inspired several AI researchers to go back and see how much AI material has crept into American newspapers.—
Frank Landymore,
Futurism,
26 Mar. 2026
-
West Texas Intermediate, the benchmark for domestic oil prices, has remained at or below $100 per barrel for nearly two weeks, while Brent Crude, the benchmark for international oil prices, has crept back up toward $110.—
Tiana Lowe Doescher,
The Washington Examiner,
20 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Brent crude, the global oil benchmark, topped more than $100 a barrel on Monday for the first time since 2022 when Russia invaded Ukraine.—
Michael Loria,
USA Today,
31 Mar. 2026
-
That operation began on October 29, 1956, when Israel invaded the Sinai Peninsula and rapidly overwhelmed Egyptian forces.—
Ishaan Tharoor,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The consequent disruptions ground some airports to a near-halt, while others contended with security lines that snaked out into parking lots and lasted upward of four hours.—
Mary Walrath-Holdridge,
USA Today,
30 Mar. 2026
-
Wait times have exceeded three hours in some locations — longer than some of the flights those airports offered — as lines have snaked through terminals and outside of airports.—
Leslie Josephs,
CNBC,
28 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Encroached.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/encroached. Accessed 4 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
