inch 1 of 2

noun

ˈinch How to pronounce inch (audio)
Definition of inchnext
1
as in step
a very small distance or degree give them an inch, and they'll take a mile

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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

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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
as in to drag
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 inch
Noun
Trim the broccoli stalks, leaving about 1 inch of the stalk intact. — Lynda Balslev, Mercury News, 11 Aug. 2026 Broil about 5 inches from heat source until jalapeños are charred on all sides, 12 to 14 minutes, turning occasionally. — Alana Al-Hatlani, Southern Living, 10 Aug. 2026
Verb
That stat inches closer to 100% among respondents living with a chronic condition. — Anisa Arsenault, HEALTH, 4 Aug. 2026 Yet when enough people veer from tradition—if only to inch their own life forward—a social movement begins. — Faith Hill, The Atlantic, 3 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for inch
Recent Examples of Synonyms for inch
  1. step
  2. stage
  3. height
  4. encroach
  5. drag
  6. neck
  7. chapter
  8. crawl
Noun
  • April 20 – May 20 Steady steps make messy tasks feel manageable.
    — Tarot.com, Baltimore Sun, 10 Aug. 2026
  • That could allow crews to focus more heavily on decisions rather than manually coordinating every step of an unmanned aircraft’s mission.
    — Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of step
Noun
  • The projects involved crew members from 60 different countries participating online while Annapurna’s performers and technicians operated the stage in Hyderabad.
    — Hannah Abraham, Forbes.com, 8 Aug. 2026
  • Wielding his cherry Gibson guitar, Simpson reportedly came to the stage without any announcement from the band, helping to extend the song into a dynamic, nearly seven-minute psychedelic blues jam.
    — Marissa R. Moss, Rolling Stone, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of stage
Noun
  • Some have done so successfully, others have struggled to reach such heights.
    — Eduardo Tansley, New York Times, 11 Aug. 2026
  • These include a double-height great room featuring a bespoke light fixture that evokes a marine creature and a formal dining room anchored by a custom table measuring almost 20 feet long and topped with seafoam-green glass.
    — Tori Latham, Robb Report, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of height
Verb
  • In what his dad (Ed Harris) calls the decline of humanity, the club is being encroached on by pickleballers clamoring for more courts.
    — Christine Ledbetter, Chicago Tribune, 7 Aug. 2026
  • But the somatosensory cortex, the touch cortex, has like encroached upon it.
    — Quanta Magazine, Quanta Magazine, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of encroach
Verb
  • The complainant, who was not identified in the initial case report, said Celeste was attacked by a dog and dragged through the woods.
    — Rafael Escalera Montoto, Arkansas Online, 5 Aug. 2026
  • In March, as the criminal investigation dragged on and many wondered if Burke would ever face charges, Jane, the girl who frequently messaged with Burke before Rivas Hernandez, dreamt about him on his birthday.
    — Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of drag
Noun
  • Prosecutors say after killing her children, Clancy cut her wrists and neck and jumped from a second-story window, leaving her partially paralyzed.
    — Andi Babineau, CNN Money, 8 Aug. 2026
  • Players on reserve lists include Micah Parsons (knee), tight end Luke Musgrave (neck), running back Chris Brooks (hamstring), long snapper Matt Orzech (calf), and defensive tackles Javon Hargrave (knee) and Jordon Reilly (Achilles).
    — Rob Reischel, Forbes.com, 8 Aug. 2026
Definition of neck
Noun
  • But for Tran’s family, the arrest revisited a painful, complicated chapter of their lives.
    — Faith Karimi, CNN Money, 8 Aug. 2026
  • This October, global K-pop sensation BTS will arrive in Santiago as part of their comeback world tour, marking the latest chapter in Latin America's growing embrace of Korean culture.
    — John Bartlett, NPR, 8 Aug. 2026
Definition of chapter
Verb
  • Past that, Xbox has to figure out how to crawl out of the hole that is its console market, which has cratered in recent years.
    — Paul Tassi, Forbes.com, 6 Aug. 2026
  • The feat, says study coauthor and NSO senior scientist Friedrich Wöger, is equivalent to seeing ants crawling on Earth’s surface from an altitude of 100 miles (about 160 km).
    — Lee Billings, Scientific American, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of crawl

Phrases Containing inch

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incestuous
inch
in charge
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Cite this Entry

“Inch.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inch. Accessed 13 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on inch

Nglish: Translation of inch for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about inch

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