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
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Recent Examples of infringeAnd in one of the more surprising findings, Stein also concluded that ChatGPT’s answers can possibly be found to infringe upon the books they’re trained on.—Winston Cho, HollywoodReporter, 29 Oct. 2025 Opponents argue the bill could infringe on First Amendment rights to criticize the Israeli government.—Laura Schulte, jsonline.com, 22 Oct. 2025 However, that effort has been challenged in court on the grounds that the state mandates infringe on local government prerogatives.—Stefan Chavez-Norgaard, The Conversation, 16 Oct. 2025 The maker of Jif peanut butter and Smucker's jams and jellies is suing Trader Joe's, alleging the supermarket chain's crustless PB&J sandwiches infringe on the trademarks of its Uncrustables frozen sandwiches.—Mike Snider, USA Today, 15 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for infringe
In October 2025, Beckerink pleaded no contest to domestic violence charges in connection to two incidents at Tracey's home in New Buffalo, Michigan, as well as one count of contempt for violating his bond, and was sentenced to 93 days in jail.
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Todd Feurer,
CBS News,
9 Jan. 2026
The lawsuit argues the freeze violated federal law, including the Administrative Procedure Act and constitutional limits on executive power and how Congress appropriates funds.
The flames impinged on a nearby building, but the building did not catch fire, the fire department said.
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Adam Harrington,
CBS News,
16 Dec. 2025
By not impinging on the private Godard, not offering an intimate and comprehensive image of him, Linklater does something equally important: the movie’s sense of respectful distance is crucial both to Linklater’s concept and to his movie’s aptly enthusiastic reception.
In the years following that announcement, Meta gradually reintroduced facial recognition technology, using it to detect scams involving public figures and to verify users’ identities after their accounts had been breached.
What now is the difference between the United States attacking Venezuela in order to install new leadership and Russia invading Ukraine to effect annexation and leadership change?
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Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
8 Jan. 2026
The drug-trafficking-as-armed-attack line simply doesn’t work—not as a justification for bombing fishing boats in international waters in the Caribbean, and not for invading a foreign country and kidnapping its president.
The justices probed whether the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) authorizes the president to impose tariffs on nearly all imports or whether such measures intrude on Congress’s exclusive taxing authority.
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James Sample,
ABC News,
5 Nov. 2025
Beijing rebutted the accusation, saying the Australian aircraft had intruded into Chinese airspace.
State capitalism with American characteristics The most economically interventionist administration since the New Deal will entrench further in 2026.
—
Ian Bremmer,
Time,
6 Jan. 2026
Dick, who succumbed to cancer in 2018, was a presidential speechwriter and advisor who Goodwin likens to the Zelig of the era, continually entrenched at the nexus of its consequential characters and moments.
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