INCHES Synonyms: 49 Similar and Opposite Words

inches 1 of 2

noun

plural of inch

as in height

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

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inches

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of inch

as in encroaches

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

as in drags

to move slowly the car inched carefully across the snow-covered causeway

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 inches

Noun

Standing at just over eight inches, the curiously contemporary-looking object bears the reign mark of the Qianlong Emperor. — Stephy Chung, CNN Money, 21 Aug. 2026 And in its place was the absolute pleasure of watching Jean Smart and Hannah Einbinder play their characters perfectly on my favorite show, just a few inches away. — Merrill Markoe, Deadline, 21 Aug. 2026 Maui could see up to 3 inches of rain on the windward side of the island. — Marshall Shepherd, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026 Around two to three inches of rain were reported, according to the New York Times. — Amethyst Martinez, USA Today, 21 Aug. 2026 Health codes require food to be stored at least 6 inches off the floor. — Sacbee.com, 21 Aug. 2026 As of Friday, officials have issued a hurricane warning for Hawaii’s Big Island, indicating hurricane conditions are expected, including strong winds, rainfall of up to 25 inches and storm surge of up to three feet. — Jackie Flynn Mogensen, Scientific American, 14 Aug. 2026 The bust is about 22 inches wide, 18 inches high and 10 inches deep, according to the couple. — Summer Lin, Los Angeles Times, 14 Aug. 2026 If using a container, opt for one that’s at least ten inches deep with drainage. — Michelle Mastro, Architectural Digest, 14 Aug. 2026

Verb

Bo Nix is set to make his first game appearance of the summer and Sean Payton’s team will take one more step toward the regular season, which inches ever closer. — Parker Gabriel, Denver Post, 20 Aug. 2026 That stat inches closer to 100% among respondents living with a chronic condition. — Anisa Arsenault, HEALTH, 4 Aug. 2026 The rest of the film drags, the pacing falters, and the story inches toward a mediocre conclusion. — Brianna Zigler, Entertainment Weekly, 15 June 2026 Every generation inches it forward. — Anne Thompson, IndieWire, 28 May 2026 With yet another cliffhanger in tow, Paula inches closer and closer to the truth — and certain danger — setting off a cat-and-mouse game drawing the mom further into Dennis’ criminal orbit. — Natalie Oganesyan, Deadline, 24 May 2026 The car inches forward but does not clear the way. — Erin Jones, CBS News, 7 Mar. 2026 Following a bout of social media virality, a scout with Troop 71047 named Pim has sold over 100,000 boxes of cookies and counting, and every sale inches her closer to breaking the record for most Girl Scout Cookies ever sold. — Kate Perez, USA Today, 16 Feb. 2026 Sierra Canyon will host Crespi on Saturday as the team inches closer to an undefeated Mission League campaign. — Dan Lovi, Daily News, 22 Jan. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for inches

Noun

Towering waves generated by intense Pacific storm systems, their heights amplified by El Niño, could erode parts of the fragile coastline and shut down crucial coastal transportation arteries.

— Andrew Freedman, CNN Money, 25 Aug. 2026
But what truly took the event to new heights was the way the ladies from the other franchises reacted to being on Kyle’s turf.

— Shamira Ibrahim, Vulture, 24 Aug. 2026

Definition of height

Verb

The case also determined that the neighbor has the right to trim any greenery that encroaches onto their property.

— Amaia Gavica, Miami Herald, 23 July 2026
As long as nothing encroaches on their territories, these mega-caps can continue to invent and profit with their core businesses generating consistent gains.

— Jim Cramer, CNBC, 28 June 2026

Definition of encroaches

Verb

Some of those embassy staff may start returning to their posts soon, however the State Department is still limiting the number of personnel in the Middle East as the war in Iran drags on.

— Greg Dixon, NPR, 21 Aug. 2026
But after years of unprecedented contributions to astronomy, the forces governing the cosmos are finally taking their toll as Earth’s gravitational pull slowly drags the telescope closer towards a point of no return.

— Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 20 Aug. 2026

Definition of drags

Noun

The storm dumped more than a foot of rain over parts of the state, with the highest elevations getting more than 40 inches.

— Nadine El-Bawab, ABC News, 23 Aug. 2026
The minimum flood elevation for structures on the Arena Boulevard had raised by 12 inches, requiring two additional steps for each of the 40 tiny homes, plus the project now required an onsite drainage system and drainage study.

— Jennah Pendleton, Sacbee.com, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of elevation

Verb

Hairy-nosed wombat births are hard to spot, as after about a 30-day pregnancy, the joey crawls into its mother’s pouch.

— Devoun Cetoute, Miami Herald, 16 Aug. 2026
Researchers have developed a new control framework that enables humanoid robots to perform agile movements, including army crawls, breakdancing and backflips.

— Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 12 Aug. 2026

Definition of crawls

Verb

With those sessions behind the team, the season creeps closer.

— Brooks Kubena, New York Times, 22 Aug. 2026
The polarizing quarterback will start Cleveland's exhibition opener at Chicago on Saturday — his first game action since 2024 — and Shedeur Sanders will play in the second half as the Browns' QB competition creeps toward a conclusion.

— ABC News, ABC News, 12 Aug. 2026

Definition of creeps

Verb

Even in the bathrooms, the toilet and bidet are concealed inside a kind of Travertine bench and the showerhead pokes out from a monolithic stone slab.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 4 Aug. 2026
This is strong language, which pokes at our tribal memory of gasoline shortages from the 1970’s.

— George Calhoun, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026

Definition of pokes

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inched

inches

inching

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Style

“Inches.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inches. Accessed 27 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of inches

noun

verb

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