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Inroad is a combination of in and road, both of which are pretty mundane, as far as words go. But the first-and-oldest-meaning of inroad hints at a meaning of road other than the "way for traveling" one. Beginning back in the days of Old English, road referred to an armed hostile incursion made on horseback. (Raid comes from this use of road and also formerly specified incursions on horseback.) Road, as well as inroad, has lost its violent connotation. While inroads are often made at the expense of someone or something, they are at times simply advances, as when an artist is said to be "making inroads into a community."
Examples of inroad in a Sentence
Michael Cox, New York Times, 28 Mar. 2025
Dollar Tree’s success with higher-income shoppers follows similar gains from Walmart, which has made inroads with the cohort following the prolonged period of high prices.
—Jacob Pramuk, CNBC, 26 Mar. 2025
The mission has struggled to make inroads against gangs, while at the same time facing funding constraints as well as a lack of officers and equipment.
—Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 26 Mar. 2025
Despite its lack of US presence, BYD is making inroads elsewhere.
—John Liu, CNN Money, 26 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for inroad
Cite this Entry
“Inroad.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/inroad. Accessed 2 Apr. 2025.
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