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
Republican Jack Ciattarelli has inched closer to Democratic opponent Representative Mikie Sherrill in New Jersey's gubernatorial race, with a new poll showing a statistical dead heat ahead of the November election.
—
Nick Mordowanec, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 Sep. 2025
Shares of Microsoft inched up more than 1%.
—Michelle Fox, CNBC, 12 Sep. 2025
Inflation inched higher last month as Americans closed out the summer paying more for both groceries and gasoline.
—Scott Horsley, NPR, 11 Sep. 2025
Plus, the share of medium-sized investors only inched up to 25% of investment buying from 24% in 2015-23.
—Jonathan Lansner, Oc Register, 11 Sep. 2025
Ford's sales of internal combustion vehicles, those that run on gasoline, inched up 2% in August to 160,762 gasoline cars sold.
—Jamie L. Lareau, USA Today, 6 Sep. 2025
Ford's sales of internal combustion vehicles, those that run on gasoline, inched up 2% in August to 160,762 gasoline cars sold.
—Jamie L. Lareau, Freep.com, 3 Sep. 2025
More than half of the city is at or below sea level, and with coastal erosion and the loss of wetland, the Gulf of Mexico inched closer every year before Katrina.
—Avalon Hester, People.com, 28 Aug. 2025
Broward condo sales inched up by more than 130 properties as the median prices dipped a bit.
—Howard Cohen, Miami Herald, 26 Aug. 2025
Nick Mordowanec, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 Sep. 2025
Shares of Microsoft inched up more than 1%.
—Michelle Fox, CNBC, 12 Sep. 2025
Inflation inched higher last month as Americans closed out the summer paying more for both groceries and gasoline.
—Scott Horsley, NPR, 11 Sep. 2025
Plus, the share of medium-sized investors only inched up to 25% of investment buying from 24% in 2015-23.
—Jonathan Lansner, Oc Register, 11 Sep. 2025
Ford's sales of internal combustion vehicles, those that run on gasoline, inched up 2% in August to 160,762 gasoline cars sold.
—Jamie L. Lareau, USA Today, 6 Sep. 2025
Ford's sales of internal combustion vehicles, those that run on gasoline, inched up 2% in August to 160,762 gasoline cars sold.
—Jamie L. Lareau, Freep.com, 3 Sep. 2025
More than half of the city is at or below sea level, and with coastal erosion and the loss of wetland, the Gulf of Mexico inched closer every year before Katrina.
—Avalon Hester, People.com, 28 Aug. 2025
Broward condo sales inched up by more than 130 properties as the median prices dipped a bit.
—Howard Cohen, Miami Herald, 26 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for inched
Verb
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The ads have now encroached into social media without proper disclosures with many online pharmacies not following the same rules that many pharmaceutical companies follow, a senior White House official said.—
Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy,
USA Today,
9 Sep. 2025
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From the deadly 2025 Los Angeles fires to the devastating 2019-2020 Australian bushfires and the 2018 wildfire in Athens, Greece, flames have increasingly encroached upon human settlements, claiming lives and livelihoods.—
Seyd Teymoor Seydi,
The Conversation,
21 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Homeland Security officials said Silverio Villegas-Gonzalez resisted arrest and dragged an officer in his car.—
Michael Loria,
USA Today,
12 Sep. 2025
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An Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer fatally shot a man who resisted arrest and dragged the officer during a vehicle stop in a Chicago suburb Friday morning, according to the Department of Homeland Security.—
Priscilla Alvarez,
CNN Money,
12 Sep. 2025
Verb
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One roach crawled on the floor by the prep table.—
David J. Neal,
Miami Herald,
12 Sep. 2025
-
Insects crawled through clinical areas, and staff food was stored alongside medical supplies.—
Walter Pavlo,
Forbes.com,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Chicago's wild card lead over the San Diego Padres has crept down to just two games with a little under three weeks remaining in the season.—
Andrew Wright,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 Sep. 2025
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The jobs report from July shattered the narrative that the economy of 2025 was strong, revising previous figures downward and revealing something close to an 80% collapse in hiring, even as inflation crept upwards and layoffs rolled.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
8 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Budget cuts are about to bring big changes to San Diego’s 37 neighborhood library branches — including shorter hours, shuffled staff and rescheduled activities.—
David Garrick,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
4 Sep. 2025
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Over the past two months, he’s been shuffled through three detention centers despite attempts to pay a bond set by the immigration judge.—
Ashleigh Fields,
The Hill,
22 Aug. 2025
Verb
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No movie poked holes in the stereotypical puffy rock-star ego more effectively than Spinal Tap did, and there are legions of fans who have the film almost completely memorized.—
Stephanie Zacharek,
Time,
11 Sep. 2025
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After the cyberstalking ordeal came to an end and started making national news, the Wilsons poked fun at Kendra's fate by dressing up a scarecrow in a prison jumpsuit with a mask of her mugshot over its face, per The Cut.—
Caroline Blair,
PEOPLE,
11 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Inched.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inched. Accessed 16 Sep. 2025.
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