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inching 1 of 2

adjective

1
as in imperceptible

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2
as in ambling

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inching

2 of 2

verb

present participle of inch
1
as in encroaching
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
as in dragging
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 inching
Verb
California gas price climbed 16 cents in the past week, inching closer to the state’s all-time record. — Sacbee.com, 21 Sep. 2026 Michigan's retail gas and diesel prices have risen noticeably every day this week, with gas prices inching closer to $5 a gallon and diesel prices continuing to set record highs, according to AAA's database. — Paula Wethington, CBS News, 18 Sep. 2026 Sergio Gutiérrez is inching toward a rare honor few people get. — Idaho Statesman, 16 Sep. 2026 Fears mount that Yemen is inching closer to a return to a civil war that killed 150,000 before a 2022 ceasefire. — Arkansas Online, 15 Sep. 2026 And to add insult to injury for football fans, the Sunday Ticket has been inching up in price point. — Joshua Hong, Fortune, 15 Sep. 2026 Rather than inching toward a conclusion, the war is escalating. — Michael Kimmage, Foreign Affairs, 14 Sep. 2026 Jagannathan’s excellent performance captures all this and more, inching as close to the emotional extremes of those around her without quite being able to experience them. — Ben Travers, IndieWire, 13 Sep. 2026 Iryna Rybakova is horribly aware that the front line is inching toward Kramatorsk. — Ivana Kottasová, CNN Money, 9 Sep. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for inching
  1. imperceptible
  2. plodding
  3. encroaching
  4. dragging
  5. tapered
  6. lingering
  7. creeping
  8. loitering
Adjective
  • Masons, carvers and conservators all work towards the preservation and enhancement and even creation of heritage, but as experience and knowledge grows so a gradual almost imperceptible transition occurs.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 21 Sep. 2026
  • The building has no ramps as the designers kept all slopes to a gentle two percent that’s virtually imperceptible.
    — Edward Keegan, Chicago Tribune, 19 Sep. 2026
Definition of imperceptible
Adjective
  • Bennie Liebenberg, a former geologist at the mine who was serving as our guide, has the plodding, slightly wide-eyed manner of someone who has spent a lot of time underground.
    — James Dinneen, New Yorker, 13 Aug. 2026
  • During the early days of the HIV/AIDS epidemic, activists from the gay community lambasted him and his institute for the plodding pace of research on the virus.
    — Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 28 July 2026
Definition of plodding
Verb
  • The Tanzanian government argues that population growth is encroaching on wildlife habitat, with the number of people living in Ngorongoro rising from about 8,000 in 1959 to more than 100,000.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 21 Sep. 2026
  • No two tours are alike; guides follow the animals’ lead and stay back, giving visitors the chance to appreciate the wildlife without encroaching.
    — Catherine Garcia, TheWeek, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of encroaching
Verb
  • Ted, naturally, advises everyone to stay positive, but the outlook isn’t great, and it’s not helped by the team doctor dragging his feet about seeing the Greyhounds star, which Keeley immediately clocks as sexism.
    — Keith Phipps, Vulture, 23 Sep. 2026
  • This movement of the fabric can shorten a hemline and secure a train so someone can easily move about without tripping or having extra fabric dragging on the ground.
    — Shelby Wax, Vogue, 23 Sep. 2026
Definition of dragging
Adjective
  • Set up an altar with long tapered candles, flowers, photographs.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 22 Sep. 2026
  • The Annie has a tapered toe that draws out the line of the leg.
    — Malia Griggs, Glamour, 15 Sep. 2026
Definition of tapered
Adjective
  • Shohei Ohtani returned to the top of the Dodgers’ lineup Monday after four days off to address lingering aches, as the club effectively pauses its pitching program for the two-way star.
    — Maddie Lee, Los Angeles Times, 7 Sep. 2026
  • No more distractions, no more lingering questions, just a baller who loves this sport and continues to level up.
    — Colton Pouncy, New York Times, 31 July 2026
Definition of lingering
Verb
  • The sultry allure of R&B vocal stylings is steadily creeping back into the forefront of mainstream music — and that includes some of the buzziest genres around the world.
    — Kyle Denis, Billboard, 22 Sep. 2026
  • The vote is taking place amid a backdrop of creeping social tensions in Russia, as the Kremlin continues to propagate a war in Ukraine – now in its fifth year.
    — Zahra Ullah, CNN Money, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of creeping
Adjective
  • Some victim advocates say human trafficking along Figueroa has escalated since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic and the rollback of anti-loitering laws.
    — Brittny Mejia, Los Angeles Times, 1 July 2026
Definition of loitering

Browse Nearby Words

inches
inching
inchmeal
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Cite this Entry

“Inching.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inching. Accessed 27 Sep. 2026.

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