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

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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

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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
Bear is a Great Pyrenees, a large breed that can grow up to 32 inches tall at the shoulder and weigh more than 100 pounds, first bred to protect flocks of sheep from wolves and other large predators, according to the American Kennel Club. Rachael O'Connor, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Sep. 2025 The ball was out of his hands, like that, toward the corner of the end zone, where Hifo caught it with inches to spare. Seth Wickersham, The Atlantic, 8 Sep. 2025 The other kitefin shark found off Vlorë was slightly larger, measuring about 19 inches long and weighing about 1 pound, Gajić said. Aspen Pflughoeft, Miami Herald, 8 Sep. 2025 Green Bay Packers boss Matt LaFleur is roughly six inches shorter and 100 pounds lighter than Campbell. Rob Reischel, Forbes.com, 7 Sep. 2025 Included in the sale is the Meridian Carry-on, which measures 14 inches wide and 22 inches tall, wheels included. Olivia Young, Travel + Leisure, 7 Sep. 2025 Replenish most garden beds once a year in fall by top-dressing them with 1 to 2 inches of compost, pulling it back a little from stems and trunks. Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 7 Sep. 2025 But the recipe is particularly pleasing at 14 inches. Matthew Buzzi, PC Magazine, 7 Sep. 2025 Puddles gathered around storm drains, a reminder of the lingering aftermath of the 1,000-year flood that hit southeast Wisconsin earlier this month, dumping 10-plus inches of rain and pushing waterways to historic levels. Hope Karnopp, jsonline.com, 22 Aug. 2025
Verb
With BeyondMimic, that vision inches closer to becoming everyday technology. Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 1 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for inches
Noun
  • Heeled mules are the ideal way to take both your style and your feet (literally) to new heights.
    Amber Cardullo, Travel + Leisure, 7 Sep. 2025
  • Recently, however, both teams have elevated themselves to greater heights.
    Quentin Corpuel, Kansas City Star, 6 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • The rise of fascism encroaches on her like a disease, culminating in a personal invitation from Mussolini himself, but we’re dealt countless scenes of Eleonora’s psychosis before we’re granted a contextual explanation of what feeds it.
    Blake Simons, IndieWire, 3 Sep. 2025
  • However, if someone encroaches on another traveler's space, the airline may reassign them to a different seat or ask them to take a later flight.
    Emma Marsden, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • The North Carolina General Assembly returned Tuesday for the first time since last month, as a budget stalemate between the House and Senate drags on.
    Rebecca Noel, Charlotte Observer, 29 Aug. 2025
  • But as the contest drags on, his resolve starts to crumble.
    J. Kim Murphy, Variety, 27 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • Afternoon temperatures topped out in the 80s to mid 90s at lower elevations to the upper 60s and 70s at higher elevations.
    CA WILDFIRE BOT, Sacbee.com, 8 Sep. 2025
  • This 15-hectare subalpine meadow is at 3,200 m elevation and adjacent to Colorado’s largest wilderness area, with minimal human impact.
    Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 7 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • In the footage, the dog hilariously crawls under the blanket, which had slipped down the side of his crate, and ends up pulling it completely off.
    Lydia Patrick, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Sep. 2025
  • Dead Bug Ab-cross crawls support overall ab strength.
    Health Editorial Team, Health, 28 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • Unlike a broken leg or a sudden illness, hearing loss often creeps in quietly.
    Joseph Coughlin, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2025
  • Bias also creeps into the data used to train these algorithms, for example when the composition of teams that guide the development of such facial recognition software lack diversity.
    Robert Pearlman, ArsTechnica, 6 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • The brand’s giant green owl mascot dances badly, makes obscure pop culture references and pokes fun at the company’s push notifications.
    Leeron Walter, Forbes.com, 3 Sep. 2025
  • Like his contemporaries, Meyers often pokes fun at the ongoing actions of the president and his administration on Late Night.
    Emlyn Travis Updated, EW.com, 27 Aug. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Inches.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inches. Accessed 11 Sep. 2025.

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