inches 1 of 2

plural of inch
as in height
the distance of something or someone from bottom to top made the most of her inches by standing on her tiptoes to reach the top shelf

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

inches

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of inch
1
as in encroaches
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

2

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 inches
Noun
He is described as a Black man with brown eyes and black hair, about 5 feet 9 inches tall and 152 pounds. Fousia Abdullahi, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 3 Nov. 2025 Hermios is a Pacific Islander, stands at 4 feet 2 inches tall, weighs 110 pounds and has brown hair and brown eyes. Laura Gersony, AZCentral.com, 3 Nov. 2025 Even 6 inches of moving water can pose a serious risk of knocking you off your feet. Ca Weather Bot, Sacbee.com, 3 Nov. 2025 There were also winds of 35 mph and 3 to 4 inches of snowfall, per WBZ-TV. Charna Flam, PEOPLE, 28 Oct. 2025 Place cutouts 2 inches apart on prepared cookie sheets. Jenavieve Christensen, Better Homes & Gardens, 28 Oct. 2025 The pants come in four inseam lengths, from 28 to 34 inches, and a wide range of fun colors. Olivia Young, Travel + Leisure, 28 Oct. 2025 Even 6 inches of swiftly moving water can forcefully knock you off your feet. Nc Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 27 Oct. 2025 Due to Melissa's slow pace, massive amounts of rain will fall on the island totaling 15 to 30 inches -- and up to 40 inches in localized areas. ABC News, 27 Oct. 2025
Verb
The Aggies are not only College Football Playoff contenders — Saturday’s win inches them much closer to being a lock for the 12-team field — they should be taken seriously in the national title race. Sam Khan Jr, New York Times, 26 Oct. 2025 As Congress inches closer to a possible government shutdown, many federal services North Carolinians depend on might be disrupted. Evan Moore, Charlotte Observer, 30 Sep. 2025 Williams edged the Bills’ Josh Allen and Ravens’ Lamar Jackson for the honor, while Dolphins’ Tua Tagovailoa inches up one spot to 18th overall. Miami Herald, 23 Sep. 2025 With BeyondMimic, that vision inches closer to becoming everyday technology. Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 1 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for inches
Noun
  • Barcelona used a mix of zonal and man-marking but struggled when teams exploited their comparalative lack of height and physicality by using players in motion.
    Anantaajith Raghuraman, New York Times, 25 Oct. 2025
  • These ones have a lug sole that offers extra height and more room for cushioned support.
    Isabel Garcia, PEOPLE, 25 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Apparently, our west block wall encroaches six feet into our neighbor’s back yard, which includes our swimming pool motor and related equipment.
    Christopher A. Combs, AZCentral.com, 16 Sep. 2025
  • While a new generation of young singer-songwriters encroaches on country music’s old guard by the day, the Texas barnstormer has found his footing with a fan base hell-bent on capturing every moment Myers affords them.
    Josh Crutchmer, Rolling Stone, 4 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • His speech comes as Miami-Dade has become a political pawn as the shutdown drags on.
    Claire Heddles, Miami Herald, 5 Nov. 2025
  • The longer the shutdown drags on, the more likely disruptions become.
    Jalen Williams, Freep.com, 4 Nov. 2025
Noun
  • Dailey was at around 10,000 feet elevation, used his car for shelter, and had enough food to last him two weeks.
    Charna Flam, PEOPLE, 4 Nov. 2025
  • In her new role, Jeffries will be tasked with steering the brand into its next era of growth, including elevation and transformation, building on its Austrian heritage and premium positioning.
    Vogue Business Team, Vogue, 4 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • What to do if the -- if the original guy crawls out of his grave and wants his job back.
    ABC News, ABC News, 26 Oct. 2025
  • When a storm crawls, rainfall piles up over the same towns for days.
    Chris Dolce, CNN Money, 25 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Meyers will continue being a name to watch as the deadline creeps closer.
    Evan Massey, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Oct. 2025
  • The Japanese influence creeps in again with a matcha white chocolate chip cookie.
    Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 22 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • The neck of his daughter's guitar pokes out above chunks of concrete.
    Jane Arraf, NPR, 3 Nov. 2025
  • Who else pokes holes in this claim?
    U T Editorial Board, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 Oct. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Inches.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inches. Accessed 6 Nov. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on inches

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!