1
as in encroaches
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 drags
to move slowly
the car inched carefully across the snow-covered causeway
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of inches
Maggie Horton, PEOPLE, 14 Jan. 2026
Total snow accumulations of 2 to 4 inches, with up to 12 inches possible in isolated locations.
—Nc Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 14 Jan. 2026
The California least tern is a white-and-black bird less than 10 inches long that breeds only in a few areas along the bays and lagoons of California and Mexico and is in danger of extinction because of coastal development.
—Phil Diehl, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Jan. 2026
Our Cotton Rope Decorative Storage Basket comes in medium (10 inches tall) or large (12 inches tall).
—Sophia Beams, Better Homes & Gardens, 13 Jan. 2026
The Weather Forecast Warned of Avalanche Danger In the days leading up to the avalanche, between two and five inches had fallen in the Rocky Mountain National Park area.
—Madison Dapcevich, Outside, 13 Jan. 2026
Granby trending up Granby junior center Jake Teklaw has grown a few inches and is a little stronger.
—Lori Riley, Hartford Courant, 13 Jan. 2026
Plus, the bottom of the bag can be expanded an additional four inches, giving you even more filling and packing capacity.
—Michelle Baricevic, Travel + Leisure, 7 Jan. 2026
Or left tackle Theo Benedet pulling into the open field in Cincinnati, sprinting well beyond the line of scrimmage, starting his block on Geno Stone 4 yards from the sideline, then mauling the Bengals safety within inches of a bench.
—Dan Wiederer, New York Times, 7 Jan. 2026
Newsweek Editors, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Dec. 2025
The news comes as Hendricks Commercial Properties inches closer to a massive overhaul of the mall that could take years to complete.
—Jenny Porter Tilley, IndyStar, 21 Nov. 2025
Clemson also inches back up into the top 50 for beating Florida State.
—Chris Vannini, New York Times, 10 Nov. 2025
As Congress inches closer to a possible government shutdown, many federal services North Carolinians depend on might be disrupted.
—Evan Moore, Charlotte Observer, 30 Sep. 2025
Williams edged the Bills’ Josh Allen and Ravens’ Lamar Jackson for the honor, while Dolphins’ Tua Tagovailoa inches up one spot to 18th overall.
—Miami Herald, 23 Sep. 2025
With BeyondMimic, that vision inches closer to becoming everyday technology.
—Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 1 Sep. 2025
Noun
The screen size can be customized to best fit your display area, with a minimum size of 32 inches and the ability to expand up to 200 inches.
—Verb
Republicans can comfort themselves that a win is still a win—and that their House majority inches up to 220–213, at least until other vacancies kick in.
—Recent Examples of Synonyms for inches
Noun
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The police had overestimated Ramírez’s height by an inch or two but most of the other details were correct.—
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But that project was further complicated by last week’s decision by the state Supreme Court restoring the area’s 30-foot building height limit — despite a 2022 ballot measure to lift it.—
Verb
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Cloud Dancer, a white that is both warm and cool, reflects an overwhelmed feeling among consumers as the world feels louder and technology, in particular AI, encroaches further into our lives.—
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As the third weekend of November encroaches upon us, so does the holiday season — and streaming networks are picking up the cheer in full swing.—
Verb
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Steer clear of clothing that drags on the floor.—
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The defensive coordinator search drags on.—
Noun
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In the high country, 5-10 inches is expected for Vail Pass and near the Eisenhower Tunnel, with 4–8 inches at lower elevations.—
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Rock is eroded from the higher-elevation land into the basin, which also fills with the organic remains of plants and animals.—
Verb
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Since the holidays, many of us have spent winter days cooped up inside, shuttling between work, school and home while the calendar crawls toward spring.—
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In Elf, while Santa (the late Ed Asner) is setting out toys at an orphanage on Christmas Eve, Buddy (Will Ferrell) crawls into his sack.—
Verb
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Move too far away from it and the outside chill creeps in.—
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Depop determined that, as decision fatigue creeps into even the act of getting dressed, reliable replicas (think tailored trousers, sharp outerwear, crisp button-downs) will become the backbone of Gen Z wardrobes.—
Verb
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Is every head that pokes in to look at me actually Frank himself?—
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The Aries moon pokes holes in old insecurities about competence and productivity.—
Cite this Entry
“Inches.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inches. Accessed 20 Jan. 2026.
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