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
No one who’s inched their way through traffic between Hollywood and downtown will buy this logic, but no matter.
—
Justin Chang, New Yorker, 13 Feb. 2026
The bottom 12 clubs inched up only 2% on average, and a trio of teams—the San Jose Earthquakes, Vancouver Whitecaps and CF Montréal—fell in value.
—Kurt Badenhausen, Sportico.com, 10 Feb. 2026
Trump has said that his first-term announcement that drug prices briefly inched down ranks among his proudest moments as president.
—Democrat-Gazette Staff From Wire Reports, Arkansas Online, 6 Feb. 2026
After seeing its market share hold at 63% in 2023 and 2024, Netflix dropped to 59% in 2025 as rivals like Prime Video, Apple TV and HBO Max inched forward.
—Andrew Wallenstein, Variety, 30 Jan. 2026
Federal standards to protect coal miners and workers who labor in extreme heat finally inched closer to implementation, and dancers in Washington State organized to win a Strippers’ Bill of Rights.
—Literary Hub, 29 Jan. 2026
In after-hours trading, Apple shares inched higher after the company beat fiscal first-quarter earnings and revenue expectations, aided by a significant surge in iPhone sales.
—Pia Singh, CNBC, 29 Jan. 2026
Applications for unemployment benefits inched down modestly last week, remaining at historically healthy levels despite recent high-profile layoff announcements.
—Matt Ott, Los Angeles Times, 29 Jan. 2026
The federal government Wednesday inched closer to a shutdown as the Senate remained deadlocked over a spending bill that would fund Immigration Customs and Enforcement amid the agency’s deadly clashes with protesters in Minneapolis.
—Dave Goldiner, Mercury News, 28 Jan. 2026
Justin Chang, New Yorker, 13 Feb. 2026
The bottom 12 clubs inched up only 2% on average, and a trio of teams—the San Jose Earthquakes, Vancouver Whitecaps and CF Montréal—fell in value.
—Kurt Badenhausen, Sportico.com, 10 Feb. 2026
Trump has said that his first-term announcement that drug prices briefly inched down ranks among his proudest moments as president.
—Democrat-Gazette Staff From Wire Reports, Arkansas Online, 6 Feb. 2026
After seeing its market share hold at 63% in 2023 and 2024, Netflix dropped to 59% in 2025 as rivals like Prime Video, Apple TV and HBO Max inched forward.
—Andrew Wallenstein, Variety, 30 Jan. 2026
Federal standards to protect coal miners and workers who labor in extreme heat finally inched closer to implementation, and dancers in Washington State organized to win a Strippers’ Bill of Rights.
—Literary Hub, 29 Jan. 2026
In after-hours trading, Apple shares inched higher after the company beat fiscal first-quarter earnings and revenue expectations, aided by a significant surge in iPhone sales.
—Pia Singh, CNBC, 29 Jan. 2026
Applications for unemployment benefits inched down modestly last week, remaining at historically healthy levels despite recent high-profile layoff announcements.
—Matt Ott, Los Angeles Times, 29 Jan. 2026
The federal government Wednesday inched closer to a shutdown as the Senate remained deadlocked over a spending bill that would fund Immigration Customs and Enforcement amid the agency’s deadly clashes with protesters in Minneapolis.
—Dave Goldiner, Mercury News, 28 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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The beat stood out in part because expectations had been so low after a stalling labor market grew more dire as the year dragged on.—
Eva Roytburg,
Fortune,
11 Feb. 2026
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During her arrest in December, security forces beat the activist repeatedly and dragged her by the hair, tearing sections of her scalp, and continued to beat her in the transport vehicle, the Nobel Committee said in a statement issued earlier Wednesday.—
Jomana Karadsheh,
CNN Money,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
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One live roach crawled on the floor in front of a storage rack with seasoning and cans.—
David J. Neal,
Miami Herald,
6 Feb. 2026
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Maybe the girl had crawled under a neighbor's trailer while playing hide-and-seek.—
Kristine Phillips,
IndyStar,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Diabate put his head down to butt up against Duren’s forehead after the two slowly crept toward each other and Duren took his right hand and swiped at Diabate.—
Roderick Boone,
Charlotte Observer,
11 Feb. 2026
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Nerves about possibly missing the NCAA Tournament have crept back in among fans in College Station.—
Tony Catalina,
Austin American Statesman,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
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That means there aren’t going to be just a few chairs shuffled around; my suspicion is much of the roster likely will be overhauled in the next few years.—
Barry Jackson,
Miami Herald,
13 Feb. 2026
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On Thursday afternoon, about 300 people in a mix of puffer coats and fleeces shuffled in place on a line that snaked south along Seventh Avenue to West 10th Street, wrapped around Julius’ and circled back — an Ouroborous.—
Adriane Quinlan,
Curbed,
12 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Loamy soil keeps its shape but crumbles easily when poked.—
Nadia Hassani,
The Spruce,
16 Feb. 2026
-
The sheet cake is poked with the handle end of a wooden spoon, creating big holes into which the lemon Jell-o (the glaze) was poured.—
Carolynn Carreño,
Los Angeles Times,
15 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Inched.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inched. Accessed 19 Feb. 2026.
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