1
as in encroached
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
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2
as in dragged
to move slowly
the car inched carefully across the snow-covered causeway
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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Recent Examples of inched
Oil prices inched up on Thursday as the market anxiously awaited any encouraging signals from the US-China summit in Beijing, while new data indicated an unprecedented drawdown of global oil reserves.
—
Tim McDonnell, semafor.com, 14 May 2026
The Labor Department’s report Thursday showed that the four-week moving average of jobless claims, which evens out some of the week-to-week gyrations, inched up by 750 to 203,750.
—Matt Ott, Los Angeles Times, 14 May 2026
The Labor Department's report Thursday showed that the four-week moving average of jobless claims, which evens out some of the week-to-week gyrations, inched up by 750 to 203,750.
—ABC News, 14 May 2026
Sales inched up 1 percent to $631 million.
—Jean E. Palmieri, Footwear News, 12 May 2026
Gasoline costs have inched upward in Illinois and in Lake County to just below $5 a gallon.
—Charles Selle, Chicago Tribune, 11 May 2026
Nick Reiner, the man accused of murdering his parents, beloved director Rob Reiner and Michele Singer Reiner, briefly appeared in a Los Angeles courtroom Wednesday as his case inched closer to trial.
—Madeline Morrison, NBC news, 29 Apr. 2026
The Conference Board’s gauge that measures consumer confidence inched up the last two months but remains near its lowest level since the COVID-19 pandemic.
—Jessica Guynn, USA Today, 28 Apr. 2026
Meanwhile, oil prices and Treasury yields inched higher, signaling that uncertainty about the Strait of Hormuz reopening continues in the background.
—Jeff Marks, CNBC, 27 Apr. 2026
Tim McDonnell, semafor.com, 14 May 2026
The Labor Department’s report Thursday showed that the four-week moving average of jobless claims, which evens out some of the week-to-week gyrations, inched up by 750 to 203,750.
—Matt Ott, Los Angeles Times, 14 May 2026
The Labor Department's report Thursday showed that the four-week moving average of jobless claims, which evens out some of the week-to-week gyrations, inched up by 750 to 203,750.
—ABC News, 14 May 2026
Sales inched up 1 percent to $631 million.
—Jean E. Palmieri, Footwear News, 12 May 2026
Gasoline costs have inched upward in Illinois and in Lake County to just below $5 a gallon.
—Charles Selle, Chicago Tribune, 11 May 2026
Nick Reiner, the man accused of murdering his parents, beloved director Rob Reiner and Michele Singer Reiner, briefly appeared in a Los Angeles courtroom Wednesday as his case inched closer to trial.
—Madeline Morrison, NBC news, 29 Apr. 2026
The Conference Board’s gauge that measures consumer confidence inched up the last two months but remains near its lowest level since the COVID-19 pandemic.
—Jessica Guynn, USA Today, 28 Apr. 2026
Meanwhile, oil prices and Treasury yields inched higher, signaling that uncertainty about the Strait of Hormuz reopening continues in the background.
—Jeff Marks, CNBC, 27 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for inched
Verb
-
Luis Palma stepped up to take it, and Wickens got down low to his right-hand side to keep it out, only for the save to be scratched off as Ross County players encroached into the box.—
Eduardo Tansley,
New York Times,
4 May 2026
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However, over the last decade, a group of challengers have encroached on OpenTable’s turf—particularly Resy, which was acquired by American Express in 2019 and is known for its partnerships with buzzy restaurants.—
TIME Contributors,
Time,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Chinese firms have dragged their feet in purchasing the chips after the Chinese government encouraged them to turn to domestic chipmakers like Huawei.—
Miranda Jeyaretnam,
Time,
15 May 2026
-
Another witness described seeing a woman dragged from a vehicle, pinned against a wall, repeatedly raped and then stabbed, with the assault allegedly continuing after her death.—
Amelie Botbol,
FOXNews.com,
14 May 2026
Verb
-
When a Republican says something foolish, network anchors react like a gator just crawled into the studio wearing a MAGA hat.—
Larry Clifton,
The Orlando Sentinel,
3 May 2026
-
The next day, steady rains caused the F1 Academy race to be cancelled and the first 20 laps of the Miami Grand Prix to be crawled behind the safety car.—
David J. Neal,
Miami Herald,
2 May 2026
Verb
-
In the middle of his soiree, the Spaniard had crept away from the other guests to tell Smit some exciting news.—
Lily Ford,
HollywoodReporter,
15 May 2026
-
Security cameras showed the moment three masked suspects crept through the backyard of a La Cañada home before forcing their way inside.—
Jasmine Viel,
CBS News,
12 May 2026
Verb
-
Conservation and breeding efforts shuffled three giraffes around Colorado zoos this year — one returning home to Denver after months away, another joining the Denver herd and a third finding a new home in Colorado Springs, according to zoo officials.—
Lauren Penington,
Denver Post,
8 May 2026
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Carlos Mendoza isn’t to blame, nor are this group of players, who are being shuffled around the field like Yahtzee dice.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
1 May 2026
Verb
-
Many curious passersby poked their heads inside, wondering if the restaurant was serving food again.—
Iris Kwok
May 12,
Los Angeles Times,
12 May 2026
-
Holding her breath, Ana poked her head into the coop.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
12 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Inched.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inched. Accessed 16 May. 2026.
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