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inch 1 of 2

noun

ˈinch How to pronounce inch (audio)
Definition of inchnext
1
as in step
a very small distance or degree give them an inch, and they'll take a mile

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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

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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

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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

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2
as in to drag
to move slowly the car inched carefully across the snow-covered causeway

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 inch
Noun
The holes were about two inches apart, above her left breast, near where a crocodile might be on a polo shirt. — Ian Parker, New Yorker, 14 Sep. 2026 Thin ankle straps kept the shoes in place, while thick 2- to 3-inch block heels offered a subtle lift. — Amina Ayoud, Footwear News, 14 Sep. 2026
Verb
After over a year from playing live, Baker has inched back into performing, playing a solo show in Nantucket, Massachusetts in late August and serving as surprise guest during her Boygenius bandmate Lucy Dacus’ Outside Lands gig. — Daniel Kreps, Rolling Stone, 10 Sep. 2026 As Russia continues to inch towards these cities, the remaining residents fear Moscow is laying the ground for a future attack. — Ivana Kottasová, CNN Money, 9 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for inch
Recent Examples of Synonyms for inch
  1. step
  2. stage
  3. height
  4. encroach
  5. drag
  6. neck
  7. chapter
  8. crawl
Noun
  • The coating is designed to remain effective after stamping, potentially allowing manufacturers to remove some processing steps used with untreated aluminum.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 19 Sep. 2026
  • The step is designed to approve a local company's application for importing a two-drug combination pack consisting of mifepristone and misoprostol.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of step
Noun
  • The property also has a private landing stage, from which canal tours and even floating dinners can be arranged.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 17 Sep. 2026
  • Related Stories At the end of the three-and-a-half-hour program, much of the show’s performing cast and winners reemerged on stage for the finale, a tribute to the late Raul Malo of the Mavericks.
    — Chris Willman, Variety, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of stage
Noun
  • Instead, the shoes with Protro editions that are still wildly popular among players today have informed best practices that carry over, including collar height and offset from heel to toe.
    — Ian Servantes, Footwear News, 14 Sep. 2026
  • Connectivity stretches to a mini-HDMI input and a second USB-C port, with a pair of 1-watt speakers and an audio output rounding things out, while the stand tilts through a 0 to 180-degree range but skips swivel, height, and pivot adjustment.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of height
Verb
  • The necessary debates are only beginning to heat up as AI inexorably encroaches on our daily lives.
    — Clarence Page, Chicago Tribune, 19 Sep. 2026
  • Signing Mbappé, who currently plays forward for Real Madrid, signals that On is looking to further encroach into its larger competitors’ territory.
    — Jordan Valinsky, CNN Money, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of encroach
Verb
  • And my sister dragged me to Loulu, the café-market with an Erewhon collaboration and Cosmic Bliss soft-serve, a lovely afternoon fix for those of us on the East Coast without an Erewhon.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 16 Sep. 2026
  • Potelle’s home — like many others’ — remains contaminated as disputes with her insurance company drag on.
    — Noah Haggerty, Los Angeles Times, 15 Sep. 2026
Definition of drag
Noun
  • By ditching all-wheel drive for pure rear-wheel drive, VW is hoping driving dynamics, tactile steering feedback and chassis playfulness means more to modern buyers than raw neck-snapping speed.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 17 Sep. 2026
  • The latest finds Democrat Keisha Lance Bottoms and Republican Rick Jackson neck-and-neck in the governor’s race, 48%-45%, with the 3-point gap falling within the poll’s margin of error.
    — Adam Beam, AJC.com, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of neck
Noun
  • Rays Hall of Famer Carl Crawford was a three-time winner of the award — formally called the Don Zimmer MVP award and presented by the Tampa Bay chapter of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America.
    — Marc Topkin, The Orlando Sentinel, 20 Sep. 2026
  • Each chapter has had many talented directors, most notably Harvey Sterkel in Aurora and Doug Smith in Elgin.
    — Tom Strong, Chicago Tribune, 20 Sep. 2026
Definition of chapter
Verb
  • Suki, who had been with her new family only a few weeks, had crawled into an opening in an entertainment center cabinet and could not get out.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 17 Sep. 2026
  • And the weirdness of the blue, blue sky above, while hundreds of men crawl around like ants on the rubble.
    — Jeff Goodell, Rolling Stone, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of crawl

Phrases Containing inch

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incestuous
inch
in charge
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Cite this Entry

“Inch.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inch. Accessed 20 Sep. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on inch

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about inch

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