Synonyms of inch

inch 1 of 2

noun

ˈinch 

1

as in step

a very small distance or degree

give them an inch, and they'll take a mile

Synonyms & Similar Words

• step
• neck
• bit
• hair
• ace
• hairbreadth
• hairline
• shouting distance
• hop, skip, and jump
• smidgen
• iota
• stone's throw
• particle
• trifle
• jot
• minim
• crumb
• mite
• dab
• trace

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• mile
• long haul
• infinity
• country mile
• light-year

2

as in stage

an individual part of a process, series, or ranking

inch by inch, we're making progress toward our fund-raising goal

Synonyms & Similar Words

• stage
• step
• chapter
• point
• phase
• place
• degree
• grade
• cut
• side
• peg
• amount
• notch
• angle
• aspect
• facet
• measure
• plane
• increment
• decrement

3

as in height

inches plural the distance of something or someone from bottom to top

made the most of her inches by standing on her tiptoes to reach the top shelf

Synonyms & Similar Words

• height
• stature
• altitude
• elevation
• rise
• highness
• tallness
• loftiness

inch

2 of 2

verb

1

as in to encroach

to advance gradually beyond the usual or desirable limits

every year the water inches further up the embankments, threatening to permanently engulf the island city

Synonyms & Similar Words

• encroach
• worm
• snake
• creep
• invade
• sneak
• impinge
• intrude
• infringe
• entrench
• overrun
• overstep
• overshoot
• overreach
• overpass

2

as in to drag

to move slowly

the car inched carefully across the snow-covered causeway

Synonyms & Similar Words

• drag
• crawl
• creep
• snail
• shuffle
• poke
• limp
• ooze
• nose
• slouch
• creak (along)
• plod
• trudge
• lumber
• tramp
• shamble

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• race
• speed
• fly
• float
• sail
• glide
• zip
• tear
• whiz
• hurry

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of inch

Noun

The Valkyries head coach is a 5-foot-2-inch former walk-on guard at UCLA. — Brian Hamilton, New York Times, 4 Aug. 2026

The doll on my desk is a little bigger than an ordinary one, perhaps eight inches tall. — Cynthia Zarin, Harpers Magazine, 4 Aug. 2026

Verb

Wallen has a pair of singles inching their way toward becoming top 10 smashes on the busiest radio tally in the nation. — Hugh McIntyre, Forbes.com, 25 July 2026

The rule gets rid of drivers needing to stick out their necks to check for oncoming cars and eliminates the need for drivers to inch blindly forward around a curve. — Sacbee.com, 22 July 2026

Phrases Containing inch

• inch by inch
• within an inch of