1
as in step
a very small distance or degree
give them an inch, and they'll take a mile
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
1
as in to encroach
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
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of inch
Nc Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 7 July 2025
Pour oil into a deep skillet or large Dutch oven to a depth of at least 3 inches; heat oil to 350°F.
—Jessica B. Harris, Southern Living, 7 July 2025
Bob Morris, Vulture, 1 July 2025
That’s right, the state gas tax is rising again, inching up from $0.470 to $0.483 per gallon for regular and from $0.545 to $0.558 per gallon for diesel.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 30 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for inch
Noun
Even 6 inches of moving water can pose a serious risk of knocking you off your feet.
—Nc Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 7 July 2025
Pour oil into a deep skillet or large Dutch oven to a depth of at least 3 inches; heat oil to 350°F.
—Jessica B. Harris, Southern Living, 7 July 2025
Verb
That remained the attraction for those who came after them through the art market’s collapse in the 1990s, even as the cost of living inched ever higher around them.
—Bob Morris, Vulture, 1 July 2025
That’s right, the state gas tax is rising again, inching up from $0.470 to $0.483 per gallon for regular and from $0.545 to $0.558 per gallon for diesel.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 30 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for inch
Recent Examples of Synonyms for inch
Noun
-
Taking their mission a step beyond, a portion of every purchase goes to nonprofits that are dedicated to supporting survivors of human trafficking.—
Karen Billing,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
15 July 2025
-
New Hampshire law even goes a step further to prohibit deepfakes of any kind that cause reputational harm, including deepfakes of political candidates.—
Angela Eichhorst,
Hartford Courant,
15 July 2025
Noun
-
Crushed and humiliated, Rumi flees the stage and confronts her adoptive mother, Celine (Yunjin Kim), begging for an end to it all.—
Allison DeGrushe Published,
EW.com,
15 July 2025
-
After playing a round Saturday (July 12) at the American Century Championship, Romano hit the stage with a live band and backup vocalists in a New York Jets T-shirt and backward cap.—
Michael Saponara,
Billboard,
15 July 2025
Noun
-
The first-floor gallery is confusing enough with its varying ceiling heights and tomb-like layout.—
Ray Mark Rinaldi,
Denver Post,
7 July 2025
-
The river reached its second-highest height on record, surpassing a 1987 flood level, according to the National Weather Service.—
Peter Charalambous,
ABC News,
7 July 2025
Verb
-
In fact, city officials argue that homeowners who have built fences or garden beds close to the trail in the last three decades have encroached on the city's easement.—
Jordan Smith,
IndyStar,
3 July 2025
-
But after the acquisition, the company decided that damage to the property from a previous fire and vandals, along with issues around the building encroaching on property lines with the city, made reopening unviable.—
Matthew Odam,
Austin American Statesman,
2 July 2025
Verb
-
That’s good for everyone, even expat journalists dragging their kids along to cover a new story.—
Matthew Martin,
semafor.com,
11 July 2025
-
The plucky little superdog drags Superman to the Fortress of Solitude, where he is treated by a posse of robots.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
11 July 2025
Noun
-
An autopsy declared his cause of his death was asphyxia by neck compression.—
Rosalio Ahumada,
Sacbee.com,
8 July 2025
-
This buttery-looking Free People sweater has a mock neck and a particularly autumnal hue, and these 45-percent-off Levi’s jeans balance out its stylishly slouchy look.—
Alyssa Grabinski,
People.com,
8 July 2025
Noun
-
Their chief focus is publishing a catalogue that will document their work, with each exhibition occupying space as a chapter.—
Ana María Caballero,
Forbes.com,
14 July 2025
-
Former President Joe Biden's time in office was a rare chapter in modern American politics, serving one term sandwiched between two led by President Donald Trump.—
Mandy Taheri,
MSNBC Newsweek,
13 July 2025
Verb
-
In particular, website owners and SEO experts wanted to know how Cloudflare planned to block Google's bot from scraping sites to fuel AI overviews without risking blocking the same bot from crawling for valuable search engine placements.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
9 July 2025
-
Both are unable, under any circumstances, to resist crawling under someone doing a downward-facing dog.—
Erika Sjule,
New Yorker,
8 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Inch.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inch. Accessed 20 Jul. 2025.
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