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
It’s made from genuine leather with a cotton lining, plus top handles and an adjustable strap that extends to just over 22 inches long. — Caley Sturgill, Southern Living, 18 Aug. 2026 The 6-foot and 6-inch fighter met the 5-foot and 2-inch actor at a party in 2008. — Brian Niemietz, New York Daily News, 18 Aug. 2026
Verb
So while governing bodies and SafeSport inched toward reform, ProPublica and The Post found, the AAU did not. — Molly Hensley-Clancy, ProPublica, 13 Aug. 2026 For the past few years, Google’s battery capacity has been inching upward, but the Pixel 11 series bizarrely reverses that trend. — ArsTechnica, 12 Aug. 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 last step, then, is just how bullish the organization is on King’s offensive growth.
    — Spencer Nusbaum, New York Times, 16 Aug. 2026
  • While the district took a series of cost-cutting steps — including freezing spending on supplies, hiring and most new contracts, as well as laying off employees — successive budget updates showed the financial hole continuing to deepen.
    — Chaewon Chung August 16, Sacbee.com, 16 Aug. 2026
Definition of step
Noun
  • Partey was booed by sections of the Gillette Stadium crowd in Foxboro during his nation’s World Cup group-stage game against England.
    — Nnamdi Onyeagwara, New York Times, 21 Aug. 2026
  • Ahmed also happens to have experience as a stage performer and a rapper—something his Bait character draws upon—putting him in a unique position to be able to one day take home a Tony and a Grammy.
    — Chris Murphy, Vanity Fair, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of stage
Noun
  • Barrack has mediated direct talks between Syria and Israel in an effort to make sure that an uneasy truce is sustained, especially in southern Syria where Israeli forces continue to occupy strategic heights on Syrian soil.
    — Hanna Ziady, CNN Money, 18 Aug. 2026
  • With their height factor, watch out for Lampard’s side at long throws.
    — Liam Tharme, New York Times, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of height
Verb
  • That's around when the facility's general expansion began to encroach on CAH's property, according to a complaint the company filed in Texas' Cameron County 404th District Court.
    — Josh Dinner, Space.com, 14 Aug. 2026
  • In what his dad (Ed Harris) calls the decline of humanity, the club is being encroached on by pickleballers clamoring for more courts.
    — Christine Ledbetter, Chicago Tribune, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of encroach
Verb
  • Pleitez would later tell police she was being confronted by Ahumada and others, who were assaulting her 20-year-old companion and attempting to drag him from the car.
    — Nate Gartrell, Mercury News, 19 Aug. 2026
  • An agreement could provide momentum for talks to renew the USMCA North American trade pact; US-Mexico talks have dragged on, and the White House has publicly opposed renewing the transcontinental deal.
    — Prashant Rao, semafor.com, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of drag
Noun
  • Sevy, which launched three months ago, sells colorful bandanas to protect the wearer’s neck or head.
    — Ramishah Maruf, CNN Money, 16 Aug. 2026
  • Movements that prevent back pain Your postural muscles — your neck, back, core, hip and leg muscles — are constantly working to help keep you balanced and upright.
    — Andee Tagle, NPR, 15 Aug. 2026
Definition of neck
Noun
  • The California chapter denies the allegation and said its opposition to the bill is rooted in concerns about property rights and cultural preservation.
    — Naomi Taxay, Sacbee.com, 15 Aug. 2026
  • August is the month for many of our county and state 4-H fairs, and much livestock has a concluding chapter at a local butcher.
    — Philip Potempa, Chicago Tribune, 15 Aug. 2026
Definition of chapter
Verb
  • The six-legged hopper, which, at each landing site, will crawl to material undisturbed by its rocket plume, also carries a drill to look for water ice.
    — Jonathan O'Callaghan, Scientific American, 20 Aug. 2026
  • Trying to crawl her way towards a spot between her shoulder blades.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 19 Aug. 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 23 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on inch

Nglish: Translation of inch for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about inch

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