inch 1 of 2

1
2
as in stage
an individual part of a process, series, or ranking inch by inch, we're making progress toward our fund-raising goal

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3
as in height
inches plural the distance of something or someone from bottom to top made the most of her inches by standing on her tiptoes to reach the top shelf

Synonyms & Similar Words

inch

2 of 2

verb

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

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2

Examples 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 inch
Noun
As of Wednesday afternoon, Little Rock is forecast to receive around 9 inches of snow, Goudsward said. Remington Miller, arkansasonline.com, 8 Jan. 2025 Advertisement In Texas, crews treated the roads in the Dallas area in anticipation of a storm that was expected to bring up to 4 inches of snow on Thursday. Hannah Fingerhut and Ben Finley, Los Angeles Times, 7 Jan. 2025
Verb
The 2-year Treasury yield inched up 4 basis points at 4.278%. Hakyung Kim,sawdah Bhaimiya, CNBC, 17 Jan. 2025 Apparel goods sales inched up 0.3 percent year-over-year. Denni Hu, WWD, 17 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for inch 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for inch
Noun
  • The blue and yellow of the Barbados flag was displayed high as Zane Maloney stood victorious on the top step of the podium in Bahrain.
    Kanzah Maktoum, Forbes, 18 Jan. 2025
  • The lobby and ground-level restaurants are completely level, with no steps.
    Mariette Williams, Travel + Leisure, 18 Jan. 2025
Noun
  • Throughout the day, visitors can wander between stages with live music from Celtic rock bands, witness dance competitions, see border collie demonstrations and learn about Scottish heritage while exploring clans.
    Patrick Connolly, Orlando Sentinel, 17 Jan. 2025
  • The first stage, which was supposed to land gently on a downrange barge, however, crashed into the Atlantic Ocean.
    Jeffrey Kluger, TIME, 17 Jan. 2025
Noun
  • Quite frankly, Moicano is far from being at Makhachev’s lofty height.
    Brian Mazique, Forbes, 20 Jan. 2025
  • Scores of other active projects would be discussed in other meetings, on other days—including museum spaces in Bilbao, Madrid, and San Diego, and a proposal for a tower in Riyadh that, at a height of two kilometres, would be more than twice as tall as any building ever built.
    Ian Parker, The New Yorker, 20 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • Advertisement As the inferno swelled, flames encroached on some areas that were being considered for water shutoffs.
    Matt Hamilton, Los Angeles Times, 16 Jan. 2025
  • For one, rising sea levels are now encroaching on sand and limestone underneath our feet.
    Denise Hruby, Miami Herald, 14 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • The project, known as Stargate, dragged the OpenAI chief into a new feud with his A.I. archnemesis, Elon Musk, and caused friction with an important ally, Microsoft.
    Andrew Ross Sorkin, New York Times, 24 Jan. 2025
  • The deputies dragged Payne across the floor, according to the complaint.
    Julia Marnin, Sacramento Bee, 24 Jan. 2025
Noun
  • Trump managed to navigate the obstacle posed by Melania's hat, leaning in to kiss her on the lower cheek and neck—a small but triumphant moment for the couple amid the ceremony's formality.
    Kristen Waggoner, Newsweek, 22 Jan. 2025
  • On a drive up the slim island neck, the condo and hotel beachfront suddenly gives way to a shift back to the area’s original mangrove habitats.
    John Oseid, Forbes, 21 Jan. 2025
Noun
  • With valuations rising and deal demand growing, 2025 appears set to mark a new chapter in the creator economy's evolution, characterized by more mature business models and strategic consolidation.
    Ian Shepherd, Forbes, 15 Jan. 2025
  • Drake's defamation lawsuit against UMG is the latest chapter in his escalating conflict with the label.
    Michael D. Carroll AND Erin Keller, Newsweek, 15 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • Emma Corrin — who plays Anna Harding, best friend to Lily-Rose Depp’s Ellen Hutter — had to film a scene covered in rats that crawled on their bare chest.
    Laura Bradley, Vulture, 17 Jan. 2025
  • The investigators will lay out a grid at the scene, typically with string, and literally crawl around on their hands and knees in search of footprints or other clues.
    Adiel Kaplan, NBC News, 15 Jan. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Inch.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inch. Accessed 30 Jan. 2025.

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