inching 1 of 2

adjective

1
as in imperceptible

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2
as in ambling

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Dissimilar Words

inching

2 of 2

verb

present participle of inch
1
as in encroaching
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 dragging
to move slowly the car inched carefully across the snow-covered causeway

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 inching
Verb
Chris Bell is inching closer and closer to making his NFL debut on Friday in the Miami Dolphins’ preseason finale against the Atlanta Falcons. — Omar Kelly august 25, Miami Herald, 25 Aug. 2026 Given the city’s limited ability to enforce the fines, Rowan acknowledged uncertainty about whether speeds will begin inching back up. — Jakob Rodgers, Mercury News, 20 Aug. 2026 The United States and Canada are inching closer to a deal to avert the imposition of punitive 50 percent tariffs on such Canadian products as hockey sticks, wine and cement, according to industry executives and trade specialists following the talks. — David J. Lynch, Washington Post, 15 Aug. 2026 For the past few years, Google’s battery capacity has been inching upward, but the Pixel 11 series bizarrely reverses that trend. — ArsTechnica, 12 Aug. 2026 Last week, Indiana County was added to the list with three cases, showing the outbreak inching closer to the area. — Lauren Linder, CBS News, 10 Aug. 2026 Meanwhile, diplomacy is inching forward over the Strait of Hormuz, and a Federal Reserve policymaker is warming to future rate hikes. — Anniek Bao, CNBC, 6 Aug. 2026 Tom Brady’s two teenage sons are inching closer and closer to his 6’4 stature. — Juliana Ukiomogbe, InStyle, 29 July 2026 Firefighters in France and Spain are racing to contain wildfires inching closer to Bordeaux and Madrid. — Simmone Shah, Time, 28 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for inching
  1. imperceptible
  2. plodding
  3. encroaching
  4. dragging
  5. tapered
  6. lingering
  7. creeping
  8. loitering
Adjective
  • Movie genres wax and wane over time in a way that can be borderline imperceptible.
    — Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 22 Aug. 2026
  • And, scarily, this kind of inflammation is mostly imperceptible.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of imperceptible
Adjective
  • Bennie Liebenberg, a former geologist at the mine who was serving as our guide, has the plodding, slightly wide-eyed manner of someone who has spent a lot of time underground.
    — James Dinneen, New Yorker, 13 Aug. 2026
  • During the early days of the HIV/AIDS epidemic, activists from the gay community lambasted him and his institute for the plodding pace of research on the virus.
    — Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 28 July 2026
Definition of plodding
Verb
  • But what do athletes think of robots not only encroaching on their turf, but surpassing their achievements?
    — Sarah Shephard, New York Times, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Without more straightforward approaches from vendors, such as easily comprehensible privacy policies and avoiding inappropriate ads, monitors are dangerously encroaching into smart-TV-like territory.
    — Scharon Harding, ArsTechnica, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of encroaching
Verb
  • In addition, people are urged to secure to chains to avoid dragging and potential spark and not to toss cigarette butts out of vehicles.
    — Tim Fang, CBS News, 27 Aug. 2026
  • As mentioned previously, Babcock obstinately played a late-career Marleau in significant minutes during his time in Toronto with dragging results.
    — Janson Duench, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of dragging
Adjective
  • Some crescent styles also feature a tapered design to give your baby more room.
    — BestReviews, Chicago Tribune, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Up front, the delicately tapered nose hints at two of Maranello’s greatest hits from the 1980s, the 512 BBi and the Testarossa.
    — Basem Wasef, Robb Report, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of tapered
Adjective
  • No more distractions, no more lingering questions, just a baller who loves this sport and continues to level up.
    — Colton Pouncy, New York Times, 31 July 2026
  • Although the treatment significantly reduced the cancer, follow-up exams showed lingering traces of the disease.
    — Khloe Quill, FOXNews.com, 25 July 2026
Definition of lingering
Verb
  • But now that fall is slowly creeping in, our wardrobes are ready to turn over a new leaf, too.
    — Amanda Le, InStyle, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Audiences embraced the films for their creeping realism and slow-building scares, which transformed ordinary bedrooms, hallways and home security cameras into places where something terrifying might be lurking just outside the frame.
    — Dave Quinn, PEOPLE, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of creeping
Adjective
  • Some victim advocates say human trafficking along Figueroa has escalated since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic and the rollback of anti-loitering laws.
    — Brittny Mejia, Los Angeles Times, 1 July 2026
Definition of loitering

Browse Nearby Words

inches
inching
inchmeal
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Cite this Entry

“Inching.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inching. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

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