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

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 Stark said developers have encroached on her community in Chandler. Arizona Republic, AZCentral.com, 21 July 2026 Lawyers for both YouTube and Meta also consistently posed questions throughout the trial about whether the evidence and arguments encroached on legal protections for tech companies around content posted by third parties. Kaitlyn Huamani, Fortune, 15 July 2026 Ditching a 90-year-old decision, the court said restrictions Congress placed on a president’s ability to remove members of independent agencies like the Federal Trade Commission encroached on presidential power. Maureen Groppe, USA Today, 1 July 2026 Dominik Livakovic saved Harry Kane’s first attempt, but a retake was ordered because the goalkeeper had moved off his line and defender Josko Gvardiol had encroached into the area early before clearing the rebound. Amelie Claydon, New York Times, 28 June 2026 Kenya has experienced incidents of land grabbing in the past, and environmentalists have often spoken out when parks and other green spaces are encroached upon. ABC News, 8 June 2026 Cuba has long defended its decision to shoot down the planes, insisting that Brothers to the Rescue had encroached on the country's sovereignty. Joe Walsh, CBS News, 18 May 2026 Most of these settlers farmed, but then the cities of Cleveland and Akron encroached from north and south. Robert Annis, Midwest Living, 16 May 2026 Whether you’re encroached by AI or encroached by ensuring theatrical or shooting on film, or real sets. Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 13 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for encroached
Verb
  • More three-safety personnel packages have crept onto the field lately, which have given veteran safety and free-agent addition Mike Brown some nickelback duties that usually fall to Marcus Jones.
    Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 30 July 2026
  • As flames crept closer to Bordeaux, neighboring Spain also oversaw its own fire evacuations.
    Kayla Hayempour, NBC news, 26 July 2026
Verb
  • Many invasive plants have invaded natural areas from gardens.
    Beth Botts, Chicago Tribune, 1 Aug. 2026
  • None of Argentina’s players had been born when the country’s military dictatorship invaded the Malvinas in 1982, holding the islands for 73 days before British forces recaptured them in a war that killed 649 Argentine and 255 British troops.
    ABC News, ABC News, 31 July 2026
Verb
  • Here, too, there were echoes of Keegan’s blissful early days, when queues snaked outside the stadium hours before kick-off and every victory felt like alchemy.
    George Caulkin, New York Times, 30 July 2026
  • At the bus stop, there was a queue of chartered double-decker buses and a vast crowd, mostly men in blue business suits, snaked four times around the car park, waiting to board the vehicles.
    David Szondy July 23, New Atlas, 23 July 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Encroached.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/encroached. Accessed 5 Aug. 2026.

More from Merriam-Webster on encroached

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!