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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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

Synonyms & Similar Words
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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
Just a fraction of an inch can separate a player from hitting a flyball to left field and, say, tying a franchise record for career home runs. — Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 21 July 2026 Things aren’t bad in the back seat either; thanks to the wheelbase there’s 39 inches (991 mm) of rear leg room, and the occupants have another couple of USB-C ports to keep their gadgets charged. — Jonathan M. Gitlin, ArsTechnica, 21 July 2026
Verb
The line is inching along slowly, and the clouds are threatening rain, but no one seems bothered. — Natan Dvir, Curbed, 13 July 2026 SpaceX — Elon Musk’s rocket company tumbled to a fresh post-IPO low, inching closer to its offering price of $135. — Davis Giangiulio, CNBC, 13 July 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
  • Since the knockout stages began, the constant threat of separation has loomed over every step Argentina have made.
    — James Horncastle, New York Times, 20 July 2026
  • The garden's pond reflects the lovely surrounding scenery, and the harmonious beauty is enjoyable with every step and across the changing seasons.
    — Hiroshige Yazawa Japan News, Arkansas Online, 19 July 2026
Definition of step
Noun
  • He gestures toward planes visible through the floor-to-ceiling windows behind the stage.
    — Catherine E. Shoichet, CNN Money, 25 July 2026
  • The move may have solidified his status as the most influential American mayor on the international stage since Rudy Giuliani.
    — Jack Holmes, Vanity Fair, 24 July 2026
Definition of stage
Noun
  • In the fall, the flashy Waldorf Astoria Hotel & Residences, designed like a stack of nine askew cubes, will soar past to its final height of 1,049 feet.
    — Jacqui Palumbo, CNN Money, 21 July 2026
  • By the time Phaedra’s birthday dinner rolls around, the sound of Porsha sharpening her knives reaches its height.
    — Ile-Ife Okantah, Vulture, 20 July 2026
Definition of height
Verb
  • Ironically, as frontier labs increasingly encroach on the businesses of other firms, those firms have gotten louder along the same lines.
    — Christian Catalini, Forbes.com, 17 July 2026
  • Meanwhile, rescues and evacuations were underway in northern Minnesota, where over a dozen fires caused by lightning strikes were burning and encroaching on remote campsites.
    — Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 16 July 2026
Definition of encroach
Verb
  • The European Space Agency’s ClearSpace-1, planned for 2029, tackles the harder case by capturing the unprepared, noncooperative Proba-1 satellite and dragging it down to burn up.
    — Wanjiku Chebet Kanjumba, The Conversation, 22 July 2026
  • Hellerstein appeared skeptical that the parties would resolve all classified-information questions by June, noting that the process can drag on.
    — Kaelan Deese, The Washington Examiner, 22 July 2026
Definition of drag
Noun
  • When the players went for a walk around the pitch with their medals around their necks, Tuchel insisted that Steele go with them.
    — Jack Pitt-Brooke, New York Times, 19 July 2026
  • Try wide-leg palazzo pants paired with a scoop-neck tank, punctuated by pops of gold via your belt and earrings.
    — Kelsey Stewart, Glamour, 18 July 2026
Definition of neck
Noun
  • Ultimately, September does give the chance for a restart, a new second chapter in the Tuchel era.
    — Jack Pitt-Brooke, New York Times, 19 July 2026
  • The organization had developed language almost twenty years earlier opposing the academic boycott of Israel, making PEN America the only PEN chapter to have a policy opposing a vital form of political expression.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 17 July 2026
Definition of chapter
Verb
  • Fort Hood, Texas, one of the Army's largest bases, has closed one of its dining facilities after a video circulating on X appeared to show dozens of roaches crawling across the walls of the facility's kitchen.
    — Steven Beynon, ABC News, 23 July 2026
  • Flash flood warnings were then issued again for New York City and nearby states as thunderstorms crawled across the region on Tuesday afternoon and evening.
    — Andrew Freedman, CNN Money, 23 July 2026
Definition of crawl

Phrases Containing inch

Browse Nearby Words

incestuous
inch
in charge
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Inch.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inch. Accessed 26 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on inch

Nglish: Translation of inch for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about inch

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of aerie

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Democracy or Republic: What's the difference?

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Do you 'say your piece' or 'say your peace'?

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

The Words of the Week - Jul 24

Why do we say 'fly off the handle'?
See More

Popular

See More

Democracy or Republic: What's the difference?

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
chain-question-mark
Missing Link Quiz July 2026 Five seconds to figure out the word that fits bot...
See All