1
as in imperceptible
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2
as in ambling
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Dissimilar Words
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
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2
as in dragging
to move slowly
the car inched carefully across the snow-covered causeway
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Recent Examples of inching
Joe Davidson, Sacbee.com, 4 Feb. 2026
Dallas officials are inching closer to a decision about whether to leave or stay at the current City Hall site at 1500 Marilla Street, deliberations that are coinciding with the city’s efforts to keep its NBA team in town.
—Devyani Chhetri, Dallas Morning News, 4 Feb. 2026
The Guinea worm eradication program is inching closer to completion, with a mere 10 cases of the debilitating illness reported in 2025, the Carter Center announced on Friday.
—Theresa Gaffney, STAT, 2 Feb. 2026
Since that milestone, Cathedral Catholic has gone 6-3-1, inching Lee closer to another standard — the section record of 511 victories set by Torrey Pines’ Dennis Costello, who retired in 2011 after 25 years.
—Steve Brand, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 Feb. 2026
But life expectancy has been slowly inching back up since the pandemic ended in 2023 and drug overdoses began falling.
—Rob Stein, NPR, 29 Jan. 2026
After inching forward to 7 minutes in the 1960s, the Strategtic Arms Limitation Treaty in 1972 saw the hands move back to 12 minutes.
—Jenna Prestininzi, Freep.com, 28 Jan. 2026
The starting group will change again no matter Hachimura’s role as Reaves is inching closer to his return.
—Los Angeles Times, 27 Jan. 2026
The news arrived on Tuesday alongside the full list of 2026 BAFTA Film Awards nominations, which has Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another just inching ahead of the competition, having accrued a total of 14 nominations.
—Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 27 Jan. 2026
Verb
The one-time Sacramento State All-American linebacker was stuck in the snarl of rush-hour traffic in Southern California, his car inching along while his heart and mind were racing.
—Joe Davidson, Sacbee.com, 4 Feb. 2026
Dallas officials are inching closer to a decision about whether to leave or stay at the current City Hall site at 1500 Marilla Street, deliberations that are coinciding with the city’s efforts to keep its NBA team in town.
—Devyani Chhetri, Dallas Morning News, 4 Feb. 2026
The Guinea worm eradication program is inching closer to completion, with a mere 10 cases of the debilitating illness reported in 2025, the Carter Center announced on Friday.
—Theresa Gaffney, STAT, 2 Feb. 2026
Since that milestone, Cathedral Catholic has gone 6-3-1, inching Lee closer to another standard — the section record of 511 victories set by Torrey Pines’ Dennis Costello, who retired in 2011 after 25 years.
—Steve Brand, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 Feb. 2026
But life expectancy has been slowly inching back up since the pandemic ended in 2023 and drug overdoses began falling.
—Rob Stein, NPR, 29 Jan. 2026
After inching forward to 7 minutes in the 1960s, the Strategtic Arms Limitation Treaty in 1972 saw the hands move back to 12 minutes.
—Jenna Prestininzi, Freep.com, 28 Jan. 2026
The starting group will change again no matter Hachimura’s role as Reaves is inching closer to his return.
—Los Angeles Times, 27 Jan. 2026
The news arrived on Tuesday alongside the full list of 2026 BAFTA Film Awards nominations, which has Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another just inching ahead of the competition, having accrued a total of 14 nominations.
—Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 27 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for inching
Adjective
-
The almost imperceptible pigment is an immediate boost of pore- and fine line-blurring prowess.—
Tamim Alnuweiri,
InStyle,
8 Feb. 2026
-
While imperceptible to humans, these tiny delays are significant for experiments that rely on pulsars as ultra-precise cosmic clocks, the researchers say, particularly efforts to detect low-frequency gravitational waves and to search for signs of intelligent life beyond Earth.—
Sharmila Kuthunur,
Space.com,
16 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Coyotes are encroaching on urban areas, and have killed household pets and livestock, while sometimes also biting humans.—
Sharon Bernstein,
Sacbee.com,
27 Jan. 2026
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Next to him on the catwalk-slash-stage, Marguerite LeRolland, senior global insight manager at data analytics firm Euromonitor, spoke about the shifting political landscape and encroaching economic pressures.—
Jasmin Malik Chua,
Sourcing Journal,
23 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Trump’s dragging his own name and America’s name in the muck.—
Maureen Dowd,
Mercury News,
10 Feb. 2026
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Their misery was compounded by Szoboszlai’s dismissal for dragging back Erling Haaland deep into stoppage time when the net was gaping, with goalkeeper Alisson marooned upfield.—
James Pearce,
New York Times,
9 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Where the film falters is in its plodding rhythm and clunky dialogue, much of which is delivered too flatly by actors who don’t exactly steal their scenes.—
Jordan Mintzer,
HollywoodReporter,
4 Feb. 2026
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At a plodding pace, the desert wilderness can be admired in all its granular splendor.—
Anna Zacharias,
Condé Nast Traveler,
21 Jan. 2026
Verb
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And if this keeps up, the Hornets have a legitimate chance to end the NBA’s longest current playoff drought, which is creeping in on a full decade.—
Roderick Boone,
Charlotte Observer,
10 Feb. 2026
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Balancing weight loss with bone health Helpful strategies to prevent weight regain related to diet include building meals around lean protein and noticing where calories might be creeping in, such as snacks, sugary drinks and alcohol.—
Amy J. Sheer,
The Conversation,
5 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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The interior layout remains unchanged with the tapered rear bedroom, central sofa/dining lounge with two convertible single beds, hallway-spanning dry bathroom with separate shower and toilet/sink rooms, and rear galley.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
6 Feb. 2026
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The interview range will come with a sweatshirt and tapered pants, inspired by French Olympic archives from the ’70s, while the podium and ceremony range will hinge on more elevated designs, including a beige duffle coat and down jacket.—
Sandra Salibian,
Footwear News,
6 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Thomas missed 57 games last season, mostly because of the same lingering left hamstring issue.—
C.J. Holmes,
New York Daily News,
4 Feb. 2026
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On the one hand, that means that many survive the disease without serious lingering effects.—
Katherine J. Wu,
The Atlantic,
18 Dec. 2025
Verb
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To save energy and prevent overheating, there’s a handy power button on top to easily turn the system on and off without crawling beneath your desk to access the wall outlet.—
Kelsey Borovinsky,
Architectural Digest,
9 Feb. 2026
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Our March trip coincided with the birthing season, and as a result the place was crawling with baby animals.—
Flora Stubbs,
Travel + Leisure,
7 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Inching.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inching. Accessed 12 Feb. 2026.
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