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
Relevance
2
as in dragging
to move slowly
the car inched carefully across the snow-covered causeway
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in imperceptible
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
2
as in ambling
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of inching
Soo Kim, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Sep. 2025
This, of course, all happens with the 2026 FIFA World Cup inching closer.
—Kansas City Star, 4 Sep. 2025
Denver Post via Getty Images As August winds down, the start of training camp around the NBA is inching closer.
—Bobby Krivitsky, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2025
McLean lasted eight innings and struck out six in the 6-0 win over the Phillies, inching New York to within four games of the National League East division lead.
—Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 28 Aug. 2025
The treatment is inching closer to becoming a new, needle-free alternative in the highly lucrative market for weight loss and diabetes drugs called GLP-1s.
—Annika Kim Constantino, CNBC, 26 Aug. 2025
Last week’s release of the 2025-26 NBA schedule means Magic basketball is inching closer and closer.
—Jason Beede, The Orlando Sentinel, 18 Aug. 2025
The end appears to be inching closer for the Estes Kefauver Federal Building in downtown Nashville.
—Austin Hornbostel, Nashville Tennessean, 14 Aug. 2025
Here are more Denver old-timers preserving the city’s culinary and cultural past while inching toward the future, in alphabetical order.
—John Wenzel, Denver Post, 13 Aug. 2025
Adjective
While the entire route is clearly visible, the plane has only just departed, inching forward along a tiny fraction of the long arc ahead.
—Soo Kim, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Sep. 2025
This, of course, all happens with the 2026 FIFA World Cup inching closer.
—Kansas City Star, 4 Sep. 2025
Denver Post via Getty Images As August winds down, the start of training camp around the NBA is inching closer.
—Bobby Krivitsky, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2025
McLean lasted eight innings and struck out six in the 6-0 win over the Phillies, inching New York to within four games of the National League East division lead.
—Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 28 Aug. 2025
The treatment is inching closer to becoming a new, needle-free alternative in the highly lucrative market for weight loss and diabetes drugs called GLP-1s.
—Annika Kim Constantino, CNBC, 26 Aug. 2025
Last week’s release of the 2025-26 NBA schedule means Magic basketball is inching closer and closer.
—Jason Beede, The Orlando Sentinel, 18 Aug. 2025
The end appears to be inching closer for the Estes Kefauver Federal Building in downtown Nashville.
—Austin Hornbostel, Nashville Tennessean, 14 Aug. 2025
Here are more Denver old-timers preserving the city’s culinary and cultural past while inching toward the future, in alphabetical order.
—John Wenzel, Denver Post, 13 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for inching
Verb
-
And despite the encroaching waves, which nibbled more of our NewFarms every month.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
11 Sep. 2025
-
With 26 million active or funded customer accounts, Robinhood is fast encroaching on incumbents like Charles Schwab (37 million) and is six times larger than Merrill Lynch.—
Martina Castellanos,
Forbes.com,
9 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Moncur struggled for seven minutes, dragging Blaze — who was locked on her arm — to the front of the facility in search of help.—
Tony Saavedra,
Oc Register,
16 Sep. 2025
-
The trends have contributed to a slump in consumer confidence, dragging on spending and threatening leaders’ official growth target for this year of around 5%.—
Nino Paoli,
Fortune,
15 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
What are the imperceptible clues that signal your job is in jeopardy?—
Bryan Robinson,
Forbes.com,
11 Sep. 2025
-
Yet for all the focus now on the technology’s effects on jobs or geopolitics, what unsettles Altman most are the subtle, almost imperceptible cultural shifts that spread when millions of people interact with the same system every day.—
Preston Fore,
Fortune,
11 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Coachella hasn’t sold out since 2023, despite its release dates creeping earlier in the calendar each year.—
Arielle Gordon,
Pitchfork,
16 Sep. 2025
-
Moms pushed babies in strollers on a road divided by a median of blowing sand and creeping ice plant succulents, still striped with dotted white lines marking what used to be driving lanes.—
Janie Har,
Fortune,
16 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Occasionally, as in the obscurity of Legion’s later episodes or the plodding pace of some Fargo plots, this approach can verge on self-indulgence.—
Judy Berman,
Time,
5 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Her grandkids are crawling into trouble.—
Alex Zietlow,
Charlotte Observer,
8 Sep. 2025
-
The pair is seen crawling through a wildflower field, dancing, and jumping, but also hollering at each other, brandishing knives, and at some point, Lawrence licks a window with zeal.—
Mankaprr Conteh,
Rolling Stone,
5 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Men’s License to Train Jogger For hikers who prefer the tapered leg look, Lululemon offers the Licence to Train Jogger, available in three lengths.—
Katie Jackson,
Travel + Leisure,
14 Sep. 2025
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Anchored by Studio Gypsandconcrete and IDAAF Architects constructivist candleholder designs, the tapered wax flambeaus twist and turn with plantlike reliefs winding up to the top.—
Adrian Madlener,
Curbed,
13 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
In it, a monster with bolts in his head and a shuffling gate was created by a man.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
9 Sep. 2025
-
The closures have resulted in staff shuffling throughout the library system and rescheduled activities such as author talks and photography exhibits.—
Noah Lyons,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
5 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Inching.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inching. Accessed 17 Sep. 2025.
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