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
From September 22 to 28, the Jude Law and Jason Bateman starrer Black Rabbit inched upward to 7M views, maintaining second place on the weekly charts.
—
Katie Campione, Deadline, 30 Sep. 2025
The musical, which recently saw Odom return to the role of Aaron Burr, was the top-grossing show in the industry last week, as ticket prices also inched up to $350 and attendance stayed above 100 percent.
—Caitlin Huston, HollywoodReporter, 30 Sep. 2025
By September, that balance had inched upward to 44 percent approval and 53 percent disapproval—a modest improvement.
—Martha McHardy, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Sep. 2025
Nvidia inched lower after China said the company violated anti-monopoly law.
—Alex Harring, CNBC, 16 Sep. 2025
The Dolphins trailed 12-0 but inched within 15-14 at halftime.
—Miami Herald, 14 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
Katie Campione, Deadline, 30 Sep. 2025
The musical, which recently saw Odom return to the role of Aaron Burr, was the top-grossing show in the industry last week, as ticket prices also inched up to $350 and attendance stayed above 100 percent.
—Caitlin Huston, HollywoodReporter, 30 Sep. 2025
By September, that balance had inched upward to 44 percent approval and 53 percent disapproval—a modest improvement.
—Martha McHardy, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Sep. 2025
Nvidia inched lower after China said the company violated anti-monopoly law.
—Alex Harring, CNBC, 16 Sep. 2025
The Dolphins trailed 12-0 but inched within 15-14 at halftime.
—Miami Herald, 14 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
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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As the weeks dragged on, agencies including the IRS and State Department called more workers back to keep things running.—
Evan Moore,
Charlotte Observer,
2 Oct. 2025
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One letter submitted late Wednesday was from Gina Huynh, the Combs ex-girlfriend who previously told gossip vlogger Tasha K that Combs shoved her to the ground and dragged her by her hair in 2018.—
Jodi Guglielmi,
Rolling Stone,
2 Oct. 2025
Verb
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After a disastrous trip to Mexico where Irina appeared repulsed by pretty much everything Zack did, the couple split and Zack crawled back to Bliss.—
Randall Colburn,
Entertainment Weekly,
1 Oct. 2025
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Just as Ted Lasso began life as a promo for NBC’s English Premier League coverage, Chad Powers crawled out of a gag on Eli’s Places, Eli Manning’s post-retirement ESPN+ program, in which the former Giants quarterback hides under prosthetics to pose as an aspiring Penn State walk-on.—
Nicholas Quah,
Vulture,
29 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Over the past few years the NHL has crept closer to MLB in valuations.—
Eben Novy-Williams,
Sportico.com,
2 Oct. 2025
-
Alabama and Ole Miss vaulted into the club with big wins, while Texas A&M crept into minus-odds territory with a home win against Auburn.—
Dan Santaromita,
New York Times,
30 Sep. 2025
Verb
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And then, after Nakashima sent a first serve back into the middle with good depth, slightly tucking the Spaniard up, Alcaraz shuffled backward and detonated an inside-in forehand to win the match.—
Charlie Eccleshare,
New York Times,
29 Sep. 2025
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But what that led to, advocates and attorneys say, is that children in the state’s care continued to be in night to night placements and shuffled from home to home.—
Laura Bauer,
Kansas City Star,
26 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Because tiny holes are poked into the soil surface, more nutrients can reach greater soil depths.—
Lauren David,
Southern Living,
3 Oct. 2025
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In a 2019 post celebrating his third wedding anniversary with Miles, Minoso poked fun at his character’s romantic shortcomings.—
Emily Blackwood,
PEOPLE,
1 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Inched.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inched. Accessed 7 Oct. 2025.
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