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
1
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
2
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
Portions of southwest Colorado and southeast Utah saw two to four inches, whereas areas with higher elevations, like the San Juan Mountains, got up to six inches. — Ava Berger, NPR, 24 Oct. 2026 The chances of getting another stop on 4th and inches are very slim. — Zach Dean Outkick, FOXNews.com, 23 Oct. 2026 Skies were clearing Friday after the first widespread rain across the Golden State, with several inches falling in locations from Southern California north to the Oregon border. — Sean MacAday, Sacbee.com, 23 Oct. 2026 The grand staircase was covered in 6 inches of ice and the basement was flooded with 4 feet of water. — Adam Harrington, CBS News, 16 Oct. 2026 The city defines heritage trees as native to North Carolina and at least 30 inches in diameter. — Charlotte Observer, 16 Oct. 2026 The shoes balanced on a slender yet sturdy stiletto heel measuring around three inches. — Karla Rodriguez, Footwear News, 16 Oct. 2026 The hurricane center predicts 4 to 8 inches of rain for the Panhandle, or up to 15 inches in some spots. — Alex Harris, Miami Herald, 9 Oct. 2026 Tides were coming in 16 inches higher than the official prediction in Santa Monica and 14 inches higher in San Francisco as of Friday morning. — Hannah Fry, Los Angeles Times, 9 Oct. 2026
Verb
As the calendar inches closer to its opening, the chain is ramping up the search for its inaugural staff. — Rashad Alexander, Kansas City Star, 14 Oct. 2026 The stand lifts the pit inches off the ground, which reviewers confirm protects the surrounding grass and even wooden decks from getting burned. — Olivia Young, Travel + Leisure, 3 Sep. 2026 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for inches
  1. height
  2. encroaches
  3. drags
  4. elevation
  5. crawls
  6. creeps
  7. pokes
Noun
  • The fifth-rounder from Texas permitted a TD catch by Jets 6-5 tight end Mason Taylor, who had a five-inch height advantage, but that was the only completion against him.
    — Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 26 Oct. 2026
  • SpaceX is shooting for new heights with its upcoming Starship test flight, and the booster tapped for the mission is in its final stretch of preparations before the mission.
    — Josh Dinner, Space.com, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of height
Verb
  • These industry changes come at an uncertain time as artificial intelligence encroaches on the creative field and consumers are turning to social media platforms for music consumption and discovery.
    — Cerys Davies, Los Angeles Times, 14 Oct. 2026
  • The necessary debates are only beginning to heat up as AI inexorably encroaches on our daily lives.
    — Clarence Page, Chicago Tribune, 19 Sep. 2026
Definition of encroaches
Verb
  • Try to keep that in mind the next time your kid drags you to some terrible Star Wars thing that nobody asked for.
    — Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 23 Oct. 2026
  • The deadpan family comedy follows a 63-year-old man who drags nine relatives on a one-day tour of nine temples after a fortune teller warns that his mother will soon die.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of drags
Noun
  • Portions of southwest Colorado and southeast Utah saw two to four inches, whereas areas with higher elevations, like the San Juan Mountains, got up to six inches.
    — Ava Berger, NPR, 24 Oct. 2026
  • Climate change is also shifting suitable oyamel habitats to higher elevations, threatening populations on lower mountains that may eventually lack the conditions needed to support the trees.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of elevation
Verb
  • There’s also a less than 10% chance of showers, if one of the hurricanes crawls farther up the coast, according to Wofford.
    — Alex Wigglesworth, Los Angeles Times, 24 Sep. 2026
  • 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
Definition of crawls
Verb
  • The tone creeps into despair as the scales fall from Sutskever’s eyes.
    — E. Alex Jung, Vulture, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Rain creeps back into the forecast by the middle of next week, when the tides are expected to be closer to normal.
    — Alex Harris Updated September 27, Miami Herald, 27 Sep. 2026
Definition of creeps
Verb
  • And yet there’s this piece in the policy which pokes its head [and forces them to find a surrogate in Texas].
    — Nick Vivarelli, Variety, 2 Oct. 2026
  • The International Kazoo Championship pokes a little fun at the rigidity of the main stage.
    — David Alm, Longreads, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of pokes

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Cite this Entry

“Inches.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inches. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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