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 This is not uncommon — women make up 4% of laureates since the award’s inception, though that has inched up to 12% in the past decade. — O. Rose Broderick, STAT, 8 Oct. 2026 The defense has inched closer to the line of scrimmage, leaving some gaps behind them. — Sam McDowell 7, Kansas City Star, 7 Oct. 2026 Martin notes that the speed bump Skydance hit in the approval process — the antitrust lawsuit filed by 12 states — cost them probably another $500 million in higher interest fees on short-term debt as rates have inched up. — Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 5 Oct. 2026 Sixers fans that inched near the court screamed and outright begged James to stop and turnaround and pose for pictures. — ABC News, 3 Oct. 2026 The share of adults who are working or looking for work inched up by two-tenths of a percent. — Scott Horsley, NPR, 2 Oct. 2026 Thomas County Central inched up in the national rankings and Lee County took a tumble after the two South Georgia powerhouses met in Leesburg last week. — Chip Saye, AJC.com, 1 Oct. 2026 The Astros inched closer to getting a new stadium in downtown Houston 30 years ago this month. — J.r. Gonzales, Houston Chronicle, 27 Sep. 2026 Though Best Original Song can seem impenetrable, as the Music Branch that determines the shortlist and nominees for the category has its own insular politics, Swift has inched her way closer to a nomination with every song she’s written for a film. — Marcus Jones, IndieWire, 26 Sep. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for inched

Verb

However, the brand’s initial dominance has gradually waned, according to insiders, as competing brands have encroached on Fenty Beauty’s market share.

— Preezy Brown, VIBE.com, 6 Oct. 2026
Wildfires encroached on major European cities, a once unthinkable threat.

— Justin Worland, Time, 3 Oct. 2026

Definition of encroached

Verb

In that case, too, Erica and Peter not only lived nine months rent-free in the apartment until, as the case dragged on, a judge ordered them to start paying for use of the space, but Erica also criticized the conditions there.

— Matthew Sedacca, Curbed, 8 Oct. 2026
The Department of Homeland Security initially said the agent was dragged by Villegas Gonzalez' vehicle and then shot Villegas Gonzalez in self-defense.

— ABC News, ABC News, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of dragged

Verb

In real-world tests, the hand crawled across 14 different surfaces including smooth floors, metal grates, grass, and gravel.

— Edd Gent, IEEE Spectrum, 8 Oct. 2026
OpenAI’s agents also crawled millions of pages and made thousands of data queries, which may have led to the partial outage of the Wikidata Query Service (WDQS) in May, the post adds.

— Jibin Joseph, PC Magazine, 6 Oct. 2026

Definition of crawled

Verb

The cash conversion cycle has lengthened, inventory turnover has slowed, and average days on the lot have crept higher.

— Michael Khouw, CNBC, 9 Oct. 2026
Orange is 5-0 for the first time since 2017 and has also crept into the final spot of The Times’ top 25 rankings for the Southland.

— Caleb Otte, Los Angeles Times, 27 Sep. 2026

Definition of crept

Verb

In the midst of the rush to finish my syllabi and opening week assignments, as my husband shuffled the kids into their sneakers and Crocs and the car for one last back-to-school outing, everything stopped.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 5 Oct. 2026
There was the sound of the occasional slipper scraping across the carpet as players and coaches shuffled from the showers.

— Brendan Kuty, New York Times, 4 Oct. 2026

Definition of shuffled

Verb

Bellingham poked in Gordon's cross midway through the first half.

— ABC News, ABC News, 3 Oct. 2026
George Lombard singled in a run, Jazz Chisholm poked one through the right side, Trent Grisham got a bunt down for a hit, knocking Crochet out of the game without getting an out.

— Ian Miller OutKick, FOXNews.com, 1 Oct. 2026

Definition of poked

Browse Nearby Words

inch by inch

inched

inches

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“Inched.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inched. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of inched

verb

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