as in creeping
to advance gradually beyond the usual or desirable limits
each year the sea continues to encroach upon the island's beaches
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Recent Examples of encroaching
The unusual crash underscores a growing problem across North Texas, where invasive wild pigs — now found in nearly every county — are increasingly encroaching on neighborhoods and roadways, causing damage, safety concerns and costly disruptions.
—
Matthew Ablon, CBS News, 15 Apr. 2026
Since September, Rwanda’s government has been mapping agricultural land and using satellite imagery to track any development encroaching on farmlands and forests in a country where the population is expected to reach 22 million in a couple of years.
—Evelyne Musambi, Los Angeles Times, 8 Apr. 2026
Since September, Rwanda's government has been mapping agricultural land and using satellite imagery to track any development encroaching on farmlands and forests in a country where the population is expected to reach 22 million in a couple of years.
—ABC News, 7 Apr. 2026
Within minutes of Trump signing the order, top election officials in Oregon and Arizona, two states that rely heavily on mail ballots, pledged to sue, arguing that the president was illegally encroaching on the right of states to run elections.
—Alexandra Kukulka, Chicago Tribune, 5 Apr. 2026
For more than a day, the weapons systems officer whose F-15E Strike Eagle was shot down inside Iran avoided being captured by encroaching Iranian forces.
—Billy Stockwell, CNN Money, 5 Apr. 2026
Brooks has no interest in the broader sweep of history and, indeed, no apparent knowledge of the philosophical accounts of encroaching meaninglessness which have been on offer for centuries.
—Literary Hub, 2 Apr. 2026
Despite the many microphones, cameras and phones recording him — and a huddle of people encroaching on his personal space — Edwards could not stop smiling.
—Shreyas Laddha, Kansas City Star, 1 Apr. 2026
Along the way, the pair grapple with romance, friendship, and the pressures of encroaching adulthood.
—Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 31 Mar. 2026
Matthew Ablon, CBS News, 15 Apr. 2026
Since September, Rwanda’s government has been mapping agricultural land and using satellite imagery to track any development encroaching on farmlands and forests in a country where the population is expected to reach 22 million in a couple of years.
—Evelyne Musambi, Los Angeles Times, 8 Apr. 2026
Since September, Rwanda's government has been mapping agricultural land and using satellite imagery to track any development encroaching on farmlands and forests in a country where the population is expected to reach 22 million in a couple of years.
—ABC News, 7 Apr. 2026
Within minutes of Trump signing the order, top election officials in Oregon and Arizona, two states that rely heavily on mail ballots, pledged to sue, arguing that the president was illegally encroaching on the right of states to run elections.
—Alexandra Kukulka, Chicago Tribune, 5 Apr. 2026
For more than a day, the weapons systems officer whose F-15E Strike Eagle was shot down inside Iran avoided being captured by encroaching Iranian forces.
—Billy Stockwell, CNN Money, 5 Apr. 2026
Brooks has no interest in the broader sweep of history and, indeed, no apparent knowledge of the philosophical accounts of encroaching meaninglessness which have been on offer for centuries.
—Literary Hub, 2 Apr. 2026
Despite the many microphones, cameras and phones recording him — and a huddle of people encroaching on his personal space — Edwards could not stop smiling.
—Shreyas Laddha, Kansas City Star, 1 Apr. 2026
Along the way, the pair grapple with romance, friendship, and the pressures of encroaching adulthood.
—Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 31 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for encroaching
Verb
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The footage showed Miles tied up to a punching bag while being interrogated by Uncle Aaron and Prowler Miles creeping above on the ceiling.—
Jordan Moreau,
Variety,
14 Apr. 2026
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Rich, neutral, moist, well-draining Sedum (also known as stonecrop) comes in creeping or upright varieties.—
Peg Aloi,
The Spruce,
12 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The tall grass and low brush keeps the snow soft for winter roosting and snow burrowing, but it’s being taken over by tamarac trees invading the edges.—
Andrew Weeks,
Twin Cities,
10 Apr. 2026
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The escalation has now resulted in Israel, with Trump holding their hand in this Thelma and Louise-style adventure, invading two sovereign countries (Lebanon and Iran) and brazenly hitting nuclear power plants, prompting Russia to warn the world of a potential nuclear disaster.—
Rachel Marsden,
Hartford Courant,
5 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Encroaching.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/encroaching. Accessed 19 Apr. 2026.
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