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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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Recent Examples of inched
The number of Americans applying for jobless aid inched up last week as employers continue to retain workers despite a labor market that has weakened considerably in the past year.
—
ABC News, 26 Mar. 2026
Penn State neared its fifth consecutive NCAA wrestling championship, and coach Cael Sanderson inched closer to one of the sport’s most hallowed records after Friday’s semifinal action inside Rocket Arena in Cleveland.
—Scott Dochterman, New York Times, 21 Mar. 2026
Although math scores have inched up every year, reading scores remain stagnant, the report shows.
—Moriah Balingit, Los Angeles Times, 17 Mar. 2026
Gas prices in Michigan inched up 4 cents in the past week after seeing a 56-cent spike in the previous week, AAA-The Auto Club Group reported.
—Paula Wethington, CBS News, 16 Mar. 2026
The two sides nevertheless inched closer to a deal.
—Gideon Lewis-Kraus, New Yorker, 14 Mar. 2026
But the men’s truck inched along, allegedly driving as slow as 25 miles an hour on the interstate, where the minimum speed is 40, according to the citation of the incident.
—Eleanor Nash, Kansas City Star, 12 Mar. 2026
Taiwan Semiconductor — The Taiwanese chipmaker's shares inched up about 1% in premarket after the company reported a 30% increase in sales over the first two months of the year.
—Sarah Min, CNBC, 10 Mar. 2026
An injured woman inched into the circle with a cane.
—Brian Barth, Mercury News, 27 Feb. 2026
ABC News, 26 Mar. 2026
Penn State neared its fifth consecutive NCAA wrestling championship, and coach Cael Sanderson inched closer to one of the sport’s most hallowed records after Friday’s semifinal action inside Rocket Arena in Cleveland.
—Scott Dochterman, New York Times, 21 Mar. 2026
Although math scores have inched up every year, reading scores remain stagnant, the report shows.
—Moriah Balingit, Los Angeles Times, 17 Mar. 2026
Gas prices in Michigan inched up 4 cents in the past week after seeing a 56-cent spike in the previous week, AAA-The Auto Club Group reported.
—Paula Wethington, CBS News, 16 Mar. 2026
The two sides nevertheless inched closer to a deal.
—Gideon Lewis-Kraus, New Yorker, 14 Mar. 2026
But the men’s truck inched along, allegedly driving as slow as 25 miles an hour on the interstate, where the minimum speed is 40, according to the citation of the incident.
—Eleanor Nash, Kansas City Star, 12 Mar. 2026
Taiwan Semiconductor — The Taiwanese chipmaker's shares inched up about 1% in premarket after the company reported a 30% increase in sales over the first two months of the year.
—Sarah Min, CNBC, 10 Mar. 2026
An injured woman inched into the circle with a cane.
—Brian Barth, Mercury News, 27 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for inched
Verb
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In the last few decades, the bug has encroached from Utah’s Virgin River into prime flycatcher habitat in northern Arizona.—
Shi En Kim,
AZCentral.com,
13 Mar. 2026
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In a filing late Friday, the DOJ argued that each of the four judges erred in their judgements and unlawfully encroached on the president’s power.—
Peter Charalambous,
ABC News,
7 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Video shows Dave Tauer's truck windows being smashed by agents who dragged him from his vehicle.—
Jason Rantala,
CBS News,
26 Mar. 2026
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As a result, he was allowed to walk free after having already served the length of his jail sentence while the case dragged on.—
Jakob Rodgers,
Mercury News,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Woods was alone in the car and crawled out of the passenger door after the crash.—
Ryan Morik , Michael Sinkewicz,
FOXNews.com,
28 Mar. 2026
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The mood inside the terminal was calm as the snaking line crawled forward.—
Thao Nguyen,
USA Today,
23 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Controversies like those surrounding Gilgan’s column inspired several AI researchers to go back and see how much AI material has crept into American newspapers.—
Frank Landymore,
Futurism,
26 Mar. 2026
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West Texas Intermediate, the benchmark for domestic oil prices, has remained at or below $100 per barrel for nearly two weeks, while Brent Crude, the benchmark for international oil prices, has crept back up toward $110.—
Tiana Lowe Doescher,
The Washington Examiner,
20 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The Royals shuffled their outfield this offseason.—
Jaylon Thompson,
Kansas City Star,
26 Mar. 2026
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The living room has been moved to the second floor in the plans and other rooms were shuffled around, though the project’s size and general design remain roughly the same.—
Noah Lyons,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
21 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Since then, the president has repeatedly poked at the vulnerability.—
Taryn Luna,
Los Angeles Times,
17 Mar. 2026
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Many spectators poked fun at the efforts of Chicago police to confiscate and collect BORGs in viral posts over the weekend.—
Madeline King,
Chicago Tribune,
16 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Inched.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inched. Accessed 30 Mar. 2026.
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