trespass 1 of 2

trespass

2 of 2

verb

as in to wander
to commit an offense I consider him to be trespassing against all of us when he trespasses against any one of us

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb trespass differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of trespass are encroach, infringe, and invade. While all these words mean "to make inroads upon the property, territory, or rights of another," trespass implies an unwarranted or unlawful intrusion.

hunters trespassing on farmland

When is it sensible to use encroach instead of trespass?

The words encroach and trespass are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, 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 infringe be used instead of trespass?

In some situations, the words infringe and trespass are roughly equivalent. However, infringe implies an encroachment clearly violating a right or prerogative.

infringing a copyright

When is invade a more appropriate choice than trespass?

The meanings of invade and trespass largely overlap; however, invade implies a hostile and injurious entry into the territory or sphere of another.

accused of invading their privacy

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 trespass
Noun
The hospital issued a trespass warning and put a photo of Bartlett in the security office. Brandy Zadrozny, NBC news, 4 June 2025 Since his first term as president, Trump has experienced numerous trespass situations on his Florida property. Anna Commander, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 June 2025
Verb
Baraka claims Habba improperly ordered his arrest and prosecution for reportedly trespassing at Delaney Hall, a detention center near Newark Liberty International Airport. Arkansas Online, 4 June 2025 Reyes was arrested on trespassing charges and given a $1,000 bond, but his bond has since been upgraded to $50,000. Ross O'Keefe, The Washington Examiner, 4 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for trespass
Recent Examples of Synonyms for trespass
Noun
  • In 11 months, reigning Formula One world champion Max Verstappen accrued as many penalty points across six different infringements.
    Madeline Coleman, New York Times, 14 June 2025
  • Honeywell filed a lawsuit last week in U.S. District Court for the Western District of North Carolina against the patent company, Patent Armory Inc. Earlier, Patent Armory had sued Honeywell in April for patent infringement in the Eastern District of Texas.
    Sydney Sasser, Charlotte Observer, 13 June 2025
Verb
  • So a guineafowl moving at a slow jog of 1 km/h (0.6 mph) – roughly the pace of a wandering toddler – through Alexander's formula would be estimated as 4.7 km/h (2.9 mph).
    New Atlas, New Atlas, 24 June 2025
  • Guests are invited to wander the gardens, join sourdough baking classes, and basically geek out on where their food comes from.
    Lanee Lee, Forbes.com, 21 June 2025
Noun
  • Here are the inspection scores and violations for restaurants within the city limits of Fort Worth for June 1st - June 14th, 2025.
    Lillie Davidson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 19 June 2025
  • In addition to excessive force, the complaint claimed denial of medical care, governmental liability, supervisory liability, wrongful death and survival action, and that the actions of the law enforcement officers constituted a violation of the Arkansas Civil Rights Act of 1993.
    Dale Ellis, Arkansas Online, 19 June 2025
Verb
  • When her moment came to walk the red carpet three days later, a radiant Cassie held hands with Combs, her hair styled to fall just over her injured eyebrow and eye.
    Laura Trujillo, USA Today, 27 June 2025
  • Season two saw Valerie cast in an HBO project about the sitcom writer who made her life hell in season one, earning widespread acclaim professionally even as her personal life was falling apart.
    Rick Porter, HollywoodReporter, 27 June 2025
Noun
  • In her 30-year career, Laura has won numerous national awards for coverage of human trafficking, child welfare, crime and government secrecy.
    Laura Bauer, Kansas City Star, 23 June 2025
  • Her only 'crime' seems to be coming from the 'wrong' country.
    Billal Rahman, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 June 2025
Verb
  • Addressing the congregation that evening before offering Aaron some more personalized wisdom, Tim speaks about the necessity of accepting Jesus Christ into one’s life to counteract doubt and the temptation to sin.
    Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 24 Sep. 2024
  • Again and again, Stan’s Donald spends The Apprentice cataloging the ways in which he has been sinned against.
    Constance Grady, Vox, 7 Dec. 2018
Noun
  • Any person elected by the commissioners must also be certified to have no felony convictions or expungements.
    Joe Marusak, Charlotte Observer, 28 June 2025
  • He was also indicted on felony charges related to Jan. 6, but that case was dropped after Trump was elected in November.
    Alanna Durkin Richer, Los Angeles Times, 28 June 2025
Verb
  • The narrators of these songs don’t worry about betraying an oath or straying from a traditional role; friends and family figure only as concerned characters wondering whether their newly single buddy is okay.
    Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 20 June 2025
  • In the sixth, Alonso strayed too far off first on Jeff McNeil’s lineout to short — the only one of the outs that Mendoza referred to as a mistake.
    Tim Britton, New York Times, 18 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Trespass.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/trespass. Accessed 3 Jul. 2025.

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