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
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of inched
PepsiCo shares inched up less than 1% after the snack and beverage giant reported better-than-expected revenue in the third quarter despite weaker demand for its snacks and drinks in North America.
—
Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 9 Oct. 2025
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
Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 9 Oct. 2025
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for inched
Verb
-
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
-
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
-
Bank credit concerns also dragged on the European markets today.—
Alex Harring,
CNBC,
17 Oct. 2025
-
There came a moment—probably before the husband dragged the child, gnawing on his gloved hand, through attic insulation—when things shifted like a plank laying across a fulcrum, weight placed on one end.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
16 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
On a warm day in September, Schlink’s son crawled on the squishy, rubber surface of the large playground near their house.—
Becca Savransky,
Idaho Statesman,
15 Oct. 2025
-
This time, of the five live roaches, the least shy sashayed across the floor in front of the cookline and crawled under a dining area table.—
David J. Neal,
Miami Herald,
11 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
In the quiet of the Sabbath morning when all the neighborhood was wrapped in slumber, some dastardly degenerate crept into the room, choked her to death, assaulted her criminally and left her bruised and bleeding body lying on the bed.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
16 Oct. 2025
-
But in Wyoming, where the number of men who hunt has crept ever-so-slowly down, participation by women has increased 30 percent in the past 10 years, helping to hold the line.—
Christine Peterson,
Outdoor Life,
16 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Doctors shuffled her between units — labor and delivery, then other departments — but never ordered a CT scan.—
Jordan Greene,
PEOPLE,
14 Oct. 2025
-
The Sharks also shuffled their defense pairs for Monday’s practice, with Dmitry Orlov and Mario Ferraro forming the top line, Nick Leddy with Timothy Liljegren, and Sam Dickinson paired with John Klingberg.—
Curtis Pashelka,
Mercury News,
13 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Tupac unlocked the front door and poked his head inside.—
Jeff Pearlman,
Rolling Stone,
17 Oct. 2025
-
The singer Sombr even poked fun at the concept in the middle of a concert this year.—
Angela Yang,
NBC news,
14 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Inched.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inched. Accessed 20 Oct. 2025.
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