INCHED Synonyms: 43 Similar and Opposite Words

inched

verb

Definition of inched

past tense of inch

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

Relevance

as in dragged

to move slowly the car inched carefully across the snow-covered causeway

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of inched Oil prices initially eased on hopes of a deal that would allow shipping to resume but later inched upward. — ABC News, 5 Aug. 2026 Also on Wednesday, oil prices initially eased but later inched up. — Elena Becatoros, Chicago Tribune, 5 Aug. 2026 In stock markets abroad, indexes inched higher in Europe following a stronger finish in Asia. — Stan Choe, Los Angeles Times, 14 July 2026 After-sun skin care orders rose 46%, and orders for split ACs rose 41%, while demand for outdoor misting systems inched up 24%. — Vidhi Choudhary, Fortune, 7 July 2026 On the corner of West 31st Street and Seventh Avenue, right outside Madison Square Garden, the heat was scorching as the temperature inched to 100 degrees. — Emily Yahr, Washington Post, 4 July 2026 When the two competing versions tested, the scores surprisingly dropped significantly, although the studio’s inched out ahead of Gillespie’s…but by only two points, according to sources. — Borys Kit, HollywoodReporter, 3 July 2026 Opinions on Freeman inched upward even though the Irish missed the College Football Playoff after early losses to Miami and Texas A&M. — Pete Sampson, New York Times, 26 June 2026 Since the Labour Party took office in 2024, average weekly pay, adjusted for inflation and excluding bonuses, has inched up less than 1% to £494 ($651), according to the UK statistics office — hardly better than the growth since 2019. — Hanna Ziady, CNN Money, 23 June 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for inched

Verb

Stark said developers have encroached on her community in Chandler.

— Arizona Republic, AZCentral.com, 21 July 2026
Lawyers for both YouTube and Meta also consistently posed questions throughout the trial about whether the evidence and arguments encroached on legal protections for tech companies around content posted by third parties.

— Kaitlyn Huamani, Fortune, 15 July 2026

Definition of encroached

Verb

There’s the Caesar salad, famously invented right here in Tijuana at Caesar’s Restaurante (now operated by the Plasencia family)—and still prepared tableside, whole leaves of romaine dragged through the decadent dressing to order.

— Megan Spurrell, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 Aug. 2026
Growth in Asia was spurred by core markets like China, up 40% year-on-year and standing in contrast to the rest of the industry, where the market dragged on quarterly results.

— Ella Graveney, Vogue, 6 Aug. 2026

Definition of dragged

Verb

Primus crawled from the same California soup that gave birth to a host of funk-metal acts in the 1980s, following Fishbone, Faith No More, and, most infamously, the Red Hot Chili Peppers.

— Sasha Geffen, Pitchfork, 2 Aug. 2026
Mysterio went for the Three Amigos, but Danhausen blocked the last attempt and crawled to the corner.

— Blake Oestriecher, Forbes.com, 2 Aug. 2026

Definition of crawled

Verb

With a practice script in hand, Shanahan has crept closer to some offensive drills.

— Cam Inman, Mercury News, 6 Aug. 2026
As the population grew, and construction and pollution crept closer to water sources, many springs have since dried up or receded to thin trickles.

— Umar Farooq, Christian Science Monitor, 6 Aug. 2026

Definition of crept

Verb

The Playoff remains parked at 12 teams, and some G6 conferences shuffled teams, now including North Dakota State and Sacramento State.

— Jason Kirk, New York Times, 31 July 2026
Black voters were shuffled around Houston, with much of the previous 9th Congressional District becoming the new 18th District.

— Rahul Mukherjee, NPR, 23 July 2026

Definition of shuffled

Verb

Offering a clever twist, the warm cake is poked with the handle of a wooden spoon, creating space for a vanilla-pineapple pudding to sink deep into the crumb.

— Erin Merhar, Southern Living, 2 Aug. 2026
Let sit at room temperature until buns are puffed and expanded to edges of muffin cups (dough will spring back when poked but hold a slight indentation), 25–35 minutes.

— Claire Saffitz, Bon Appetit Magazine, 1 Aug. 2026

Definition of poked

Browse Nearby Words

inch by inch

inched

inches

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Style

“Inched.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inched. Accessed 9 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of inched

verb

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