inch 1 of 2

1
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

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
Take 4- to 6-inch cuttings from green, not woody, growth, dip the ends in rooting hormone, and root them in water or soil. Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 7 Nov. 2025 Detroit is likely to get about 1 inch of snow by Monday. Sarah Moore, Freep.com, 7 Nov. 2025
Verb
One Battle After Another picked up another $1 million and change in its sixth week, inching it ever closer to the $75 million bonus-point threshold. Joe Reid, Vulture, 4 Nov. 2025 In the video, the contractor stopped in his tracks, confused about the giant tortoise slowly inching its way inside. Liz O'Connell, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Nov. 2025 See All Example Sentences for inch
Recent Examples of Synonyms for inch
Noun
  • That’s his next step to becoming a really good player.
    Michelle Kaufman, Miami Herald, 11 Nov. 2025
  • If successful, PolyU’s 40% efficiency goal could push perovskite/silicon tandem solar cells from research labs to rooftops and industrial grids, marking a decisive step toward a cleaner energy future.
    Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 11 Nov. 2025
Noun
  • Gravette may not be where most expect to find an athlete competing on a global stage, but maybe that's just because Madie Edwards knows how to keep a low profile.
    NWA Democrat-Gazette, Arkansas Online, 10 Nov. 2025
  • Taking a documentary and translating it on the Broadway stage was always going to be an ambitious endeavor, and when creatives attempt such feats, they should be celebrated.
    Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 10 Nov. 2025
Noun
  • After tumbling from a 50-foot height, Dan Aykroyd walked away convinced that a higher power had caught him.
    Stephanie Nolasco, FOXNews.com, 8 Nov. 2025
  • Their mom, Alyssa Crawford, shared two images of herself with her daughter Violet, with text alluding to the 4-year-old’s height being smaller than her peers.
    Lucy Notarantonio, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • The White House is also conceding by reversing federal worker layoffs and committing to encroach less on Congress' spending authority.
    Zachary Schermele, USA Today, 10 Nov. 2025
  • Salt water from the encroaching ocean threatens the drinking-water supply.
    Vann R. Newkirk II, The Atlantic, 10 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • But as the stalemate has dragged on, some Democrats have been looking for a way out.
    Nathaniel Weixel, The Hill, 6 Nov. 2025
  • Big bitcoin holders appear to be selling their tokens, threatening to drag the cryptocurrency deeper into the red, according to Citigroup.
    Liz Napolitano, CNBC, 5 Nov. 2025
Noun
  • Be sure to cover your head and neck with your arms, and crawl under a sturdy table if possible.
    CA Earthquake Bot, Sacbee.com, 11 Nov. 2025
  • By the end of her appointment, she was sold on a deep plane face and neck lift, a platysmaplasty, an upper lip lift, a midface lipografting and an endoscopic browlift.
    Luke Chinman, PEOPLE, 10 Nov. 2025
Noun
  • The final chapter of Stranger Things is set to release in three parts.
    Liza Esquibias, PEOPLE, 8 Nov. 2025
  • The latest chapter came in the Div.
    Brendan Connelly, Boston Herald, 8 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • His fur was singed and bitten, his arm broken, and his mouth crawling with maggots.
    Alice Gibbs, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Nov. 2025
  • Amazon has already taken steps in recent months to prevent external AI agents from crawling its website, including those developed by OpenAI, Google and Meta.
    Ashley Capoot,Annie Palmer, CNBC, 4 Nov. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Inch.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inch. Accessed 16 Nov. 2025.

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