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
Northern Missouri is wetter after 1 to 3 inches of rain fell over the weekend. — Kansas City Star, 29 Sep. 2026 After being plagued with drought and later flooding this year, Arizona, Utah, New Mexico and Texas could receive inches of rain. — Martín Silva Rey, Los Angeles Times, 29 Sep. 2026
Verb
The agency issued an order creating a temporary pathway for trading certain tokenized stocks, inching financial markets closer to 24/7 trading. — Talia Kaplan, CNBC, 22 Sep. 2026 California gas price climbed 16 cents in the past week, inching closer to the state’s all-time record. — Sacbee.com, 21 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
  • Modern use of accelerators in physics The developments Cockcroft and Walton made marked the first step toward widespread use of particle accelerators, which continues today.
    — Andrea Richard, The Conversation, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Staff skipped the sanitizing step when washing cutting boards at the meat prep table.
    — Sacbee.com, Sacbee.com, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of step
Noun
  • The Haunting at The Ridge has become spookier in its third year with more actors and a live stage show with the Cabaret Sinister.
    — Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 2 Oct. 2026
  • At Aventura concerts, random concert goers are often brought to the stage to perform the Don Omar part.
    — Lars Brandle, Billboard, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of stage
Noun
  • Rooms Faraway Sag Harbor has 67 guest rooms and suites, including a handful of lofts with double-height ceilings.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 29 Sep. 2026
  • That’s a delicate way of saying that the neighborhood, for all its density and height, is still a little underpopulated.
    — Adriane Quinlan, Curbed, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of height
Verb
  • Wildfires encroached on major European cities, a once unthinkable threat.
    — Justin Worland, Time, 3 Oct. 2026
  • Against encroaching social upheavals, the sovereign was resolutely the center of a mercantilist universe.
    — Sophie Landres, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of encroach
Verb
  • Both buyers and sellers remain trapped in a wait and see stance, further dragging on a US housing market that has been stagnant for nearly four years.
    — , CNBC, 29 Sep. 2026
  • Many outside analysts think that the conflict will drag on for longer and end with negotiations rather than with a clear winner.
    — Ali Vaez, Foreign Affairs, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of drag
Noun
  • The officer stops at the pillar between the car’s windows, such that the driver must crane their neck backward to make eye contact and could only open fire awkwardly.
    — Sophie Landres, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2026
  • Young infants have relatively large heads and limited head and neck control.
    — Katia Hetter, CNN Money, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of neck
Noun
  • Hilton is scheduled to speak on Monday to a chapter of the Log Cabin Republicans, an LGBTQ group, at a brewery in Palm Desert.
    — Seema Mehta, Los Angeles Times, 3 Oct. 2026
  • For this new chapter in Britain, the son of King Charles III and his family have made their home in the Cotswolds, an idyllic region west of London that is popular with celebrities and the otherwise well-to-do.
    — Séraphine Roger, Vanity Fair, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of chapter
Verb
  • Introduced crawling through the Trask family’s field, her black blood spattering their rich soil like a human pesticide, Cathy personifies the series’ potent blend of dread and beauty.
    — Ben Travers, IndieWire, 1 Oct. 2026
  • But centering a nearly dead Cathy Ames (Florence Pugh) is Kazan’s entire intention with this project, and snagging us with the image of her bloody body crawling toward the Trasks’ farmhouse is a tip of the hand toward where East of Eden is going.
    — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 1 Oct. 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 4 Oct. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on inch

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about inch

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