inch

1 a very small distance or degree give them an inch, and they'll take a mile Synonyms ace, hairbreadth (or hairsbreadth), hairline, hop, skip, and jump, hair, neck, shouting distance, step, stone's throwRelated Words bit, crumb, dab, iota, jot, minim, mite, particle, smidgen (also smidgeon or smidgin or smidge), trace, trifleNear Antonyms infinity, light-yearAntonyms country mile, long haul, mile

2 an individual part of a process, series, or ranking inch by inch, we're making progress toward our fund-raising goal Synonyms chapter, cut, grade, degree, notch, peg, phase, place, point, stage, stepRelated Words angle, aspect, facet, side; amount, measure, plane; decrement, increment

3 inches pl  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 altitude, elevation, inches, statureRelated Words rise; highness, loftiness, tallness

1 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 creep, encroach, wormRelated Words snake, sneak; entrench (also intrench), impinge, infringe, intrude, invade; overpass, overreach, overrun, overshoot, overstep

2 to move slowly the car inched carefully across the snow-covered causeway Synonyms creak (along), creep, drag, crawl, limp, nose, ooze, plod, poke, slouch, snailRelated Words lumber, shamble, shuffle, tramp, trudgeNear Antonyms float, glide, sail; hurry, tearAntonyms fly, race, speed, whiz (or whizz), zip