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
The price of gold has inched ever closer to the $5,000 per troy ounce mark in recent trading sessions, prompting many to wonder if the rally will continue any further.
—
Gaurav Sharma, Forbes.com, 23 Jan. 2026
But stock futures inched lower this morning, indicating the market might take a break from its two-day recovery rally.
—Alex Harring, CNBC, 23 Jan. 2026
Ball’s buddy, Miles Bridges, inched closer to climbing up the franchise ladder in a key category.
—Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 18 Jan. 2026
North Texas welcomed home one of its recent greats as well as a former assistant coach returning to its football staff on Friday, when the Mean Green inched closer to finalizing Neal Brown’s first staff.
—Brett Vito Jan 16, Dallas Morning News, 16 Jan. 2026
Then the first car, which bore the brunt of the wave, inched backward into an apparent three-point turn before the footage cut off.
—Rachel Raposas, PEOPLE, 13 Jan. 2026
In particular, the price of dairy products rose nationally but inched down in the Midwest.
—Maia Pandey, jsonline.com, 13 Jan. 2026
Unemployment remains low by historical standards but has inched up to its highest level in years.
—Max Zahn, ABC News, 2 Jan. 2026
Ole Miss avenged its lone loss of the season and inched within a game of playing for the program’s first national title since 1960.
—Seth Emerson, New York Times, 2 Jan. 2026
Gaurav Sharma, Forbes.com, 23 Jan. 2026
But stock futures inched lower this morning, indicating the market might take a break from its two-day recovery rally.
—Alex Harring, CNBC, 23 Jan. 2026
Ball’s buddy, Miles Bridges, inched closer to climbing up the franchise ladder in a key category.
—Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 18 Jan. 2026
North Texas welcomed home one of its recent greats as well as a former assistant coach returning to its football staff on Friday, when the Mean Green inched closer to finalizing Neal Brown’s first staff.
—Brett Vito Jan 16, Dallas Morning News, 16 Jan. 2026
Then the first car, which bore the brunt of the wave, inched backward into an apparent three-point turn before the footage cut off.
—Rachel Raposas, PEOPLE, 13 Jan. 2026
In particular, the price of dairy products rose nationally but inched down in the Midwest.
—Maia Pandey, jsonline.com, 13 Jan. 2026
Unemployment remains low by historical standards but has inched up to its highest level in years.
—Max Zahn, ABC News, 2 Jan. 2026
Ole Miss avenged its lone loss of the season and inched within a game of playing for the program’s first national title since 1960.
—Seth Emerson, New York Times, 2 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for inched
Verb
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In an era when IP is king at the theatrical box office, particularly when it’s encroached upon by streaming, what’s the trick to figuring out if an original project can play to a mass audience or a Gen Z one?—
Anthony D'Alessandro,
Deadline,
22 Jan. 2026
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Palace intrigue encroached on his confidence at times.—
Bennett Durando,
Denver Post,
6 Jan. 2026
Verb
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However, that advice changed after recent attacks – including two in 2023, when a 10-year-old boy was dragged underwater by a dingo before his sister stepped in, and when a woman was attacked despite running into the surf to escape four dingoes.—
Hilary Whiteman,
CNN Money,
24 Jan. 2026
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Cops say that after being struck by Griffiths, Underwood was run over and dragged for more than two blocks by a black-and-gray sedan.—
Nicholas Williams,
Mercury News,
22 Jan. 2026
Verb
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During rush hour, drivers crawled along at an average speed of just under 19 miles per hour.—
Max Klaver,
Miami Herald,
23 Jan. 2026
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But that was well over a year ago, and the procurement process has crawled ever since.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
23 Jan. 2026
Verb
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However, dynamic pricing has quietly crept into far more areas of our daily lives than ticketing.—
David Carlucci,
New York Daily News,
21 Jan. 2026
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Even searches for ethnic slurs hurled at Danish people — language that has historically crept into the American lexicon to dehumanize wartime enemies — come up thin.—
John C. Moritz,
Austin American Statesman,
18 Jan. 2026
Verb
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An owner of the Signature Room shuffled its assets around to avoid paying workers who were abruptly laid off when the iconic restaurant and lounge shuttered in 2023, a lawsuit filed in Cook County Circuit Court this week alleges.—
Talia Soglin,
Chicago Tribune,
23 Jan. 2026
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Arenas shuffled up and down the pickleball court and shifted laterally, quickly racking up the points and shutting out Jennings in the game, 11-0.—
Haley Sawyer,
Oc Register,
20 Jan. 2026
Verb
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During the winter storm, the department’s official X account went viral for a series of self-aware, tongue-in-cheek posts that poked fun at drivers, the weather and even the officers themselves.—
Ashley Vega,
PEOPLE,
27 Jan. 2026
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Hadn’t poked my nose in anywhere, hadn’t seen anything, and just really enjoyed watching the film.—
Mark Hughes,
Forbes.com,
26 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Inched.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inched. Accessed 30 Jan. 2026.
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