infringe

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb infringe differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of infringe are encroach, invade, and trespass. While all these words mean "to make inroads upon the property, territory, or rights of another," infringe implies an encroachment clearly violating a right or prerogative.

infringing a copyright

When is it sensible to use encroach instead of infringe?

In some situations, the words encroach and infringe are roughly equivalent. However, encroach suggests gradual or stealthy entrance upon another's territory or usurpation of another's rights or possessions.

the encroaching settlers displacing the native peoples

When can invade be used instead of infringe?

While in some cases nearly identical to infringe, invade implies a hostile and injurious entry into the territory or sphere of another.

accused of invading their privacy

When might trespass be a better fit than infringe?

The synonyms trespass and infringe are sometimes interchangeable, but trespass implies an unwarranted or unlawful intrusion.

hunters trespassing on farmland

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 infringe Faculty at Indiana's universities worry that the shuttering of degree programs due to a new state law infringes on academic freedom and will erode higher education outcomes in the state. Brittany Carloni, IndyStar, 11 July 2025 Apple, Microsoft, and other competitors had targeted Google and its phone making partners with claims that the operating system infringed on their intellectual property. Verne Kopytoff, Fortune, 5 July 2025 Suno was one of two AI companies sued last year by major record labels — including Universal Music Group, Sony Music Entertainment and Warner Music Group — which allege that the companies infringed on the labels’ recording copyrights in order to train their music-generating models. Natalie Kainz, NBC news, 3 July 2025 For OpenAI, sharing the logs risks revealing instances of infringing outputs that could further spike damages in the case. ArsTechnica, 2 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for infringe
Recent Examples of Synonyms for infringe
Verb
  • Then, in November 2023, a mistrial was declared in a federal trial over whether Hankison violated the civil rights of Taylor, her boyfriend and neighbors after the jury could not come to a decision.
    Josh Wood, The Courier-Journal, 23 July 2025
  • Under the proposal, violating the permit restrictions would carry a $150 fine.
    John Tuohy, IndyStar, 23 July 2025
Verb
  • The fast-moving events suggest that global crises are piling up in ways that are impinging other parts of Trump’s agenda.
    NBC News, NBC news, 19 June 2025
  • We’re supposed to all get together and make our government without the church impinging upon the state, but nonetheless, so much legislation and so much policy.
    Todd Gilchrist, IndieWire, 11 July 2025
Verb
  • Hackers breached Microsoft SharePoint on-premise server systems last weekend, accessing data and internal code for an estimated 400 organizations, Reuters reported.
    Megan Poinski, Forbes.com, 24 July 2025
  • Government responsibility for the public trust was also a basis of the Juliana v. U.S. case, where a group of young people sued the U.S. government for breaching the public trust by not doing enough to curb greenhouse gas emissions.
    Dana Zartner, The Conversation, 23 July 2025
Verb
  • The men’s national team has been invaded by foreigners.
    Miranda Jeyaretnam, Time, 14 July 2025
  • Russia has suffered about a million casualties in its attempt to invade.
    Dexter Filkins, New Yorker, 14 July 2025
Verb
  • Clear Confidentiality Boundaries Just as there are spaces a human assistant shouldn’t intrude on, there should be red lines for AI.
    Boyan Wan, Forbes.com, 24 July 2025
  • Typically, cover crop seeds are planted at the end of the growing season to keep weeds from intruding into gardens after the main crops are harvested.
    Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 22 July 2025
Verb
  • Current district representatives are entrenched in the past, dedicated to a theory of action that undermines most charter schools in Baltimore at every turn.
    Will McKenna, Baltimore Sun, 30 July 2025
  • Their customer base includes Nvidia, AMD , Intel , AMR, Tesla , and Apple and are deeply entrenched in these company's workflows.
    Todd Gordon, CNBC, 29 July 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Infringe.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/infringe. Accessed 2 Aug. 2025.

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