INVADE Synonyms: 62 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How does the verb 'invade' differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of invade are encroach , infringe , and trespass . While all these words mean "to make inroads upon the property, territory, or rights of another," invade implies a hostile and injurious entry into the territory or sphere of another. // accused of invading their privacy

Q: When would 'encroach' be a good substitute for 'invade'?

The words encroach and invade are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, encroach suggests gradual or stealthy entrance upon another's territory or usurpation of another's rights or possessions. // the encroaching settlers displacing the native peoples

Q: When is 'infringe' a more appropriate choice than 'invade'?

In some situations, the words infringe and invade are roughly equivalent. However, infringe implies an encroachment clearly violating a right or prerogative. // infringing a copyright

Q: Where would 'trespass' be a reasonable alternative to 'invade'?

While the synonyms trespass and invade are close in meaning, trespass implies an unwarranted or unlawful intrusion. // hunters trespassing on farmland

invade

verb

in-ˈvād

Definition of invade

as in to raid

to enter for conquest or plunder a superpower that had a tendency to invade and take over smaller and weaker countries

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How does the verb invade differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of invade are encroach, infringe, and trespass. While all these words mean "to make inroads upon the property, territory, or rights of another," invade implies a hostile and injurious entry into the territory or sphere of another.

accused of invading their privacy

When would encroach be a good substitute for invade?

The words encroach and invade are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, encroach suggests gradual or stealthy entrance upon another's territory or usurpation of another's rights or possessions.

the encroaching settlers displacing the native peoples

When is infringe a more appropriate choice than invade?

In some situations, the words infringe and invade are roughly equivalent. However, infringe implies an encroachment clearly violating a right or prerogative.

infringing a copyright

Where would trespass be a reasonable alternative to invade?

While the synonyms trespass and invade are close in meaning, trespass implies an unwarranted or unlawful intrusion.

hunters trespassing on farmland

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 invade In 1978, after a series of attacks on Israel organized by Palestinian fighters in Lebanon, Israel invaded and occupied the south in what was known as Operation Litani. — Mireille Rebeiz, The Conversation, 23 Oct. 2026 Ukrinform | Future Publishing | Getty Images Elon Musk's latest clash with Ukraine underscores the critical role that his company's Starlink satellite internet service has played in Kyiv's defense against Russia, which invaded unprovoked in 2022. — Annie Palmer,lora Kolodny, CNBC, 22 Oct. 2026 Starlink has been providing internet service to Ukrainian civilians and military forces since 2022, when Russia invaded Ukraine, according to Reuters. — Aidan Stretch, CBS News, 22 Oct. 2026 Commonly considered one of the world’s worst invasive species, the green crab has successfully invaded every continent except Antarctica. — Victoria Malloy, Time, 21 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for invade

Recent Examples of Synonyms for invade

Verb

Thrifting, attending clothing swaps and raiding friends' and family members' closets are all ways to avoid buying new costumes.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 24 Oct. 2026
Thieves raided a jewelry store in a crash-and-grab burglary in Chicago's Rogers Park neighborhood early Tuesday morning.

— Desiree Evans, CBS News, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of raid

Verb

Archaeologists in England have uncovered new remains at one of the country's oldest and largest medieval leprosy hospitals, hundreds of years after the disease ravaged communities across Britain.

— Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 26 Oct. 2026
The places where Baltzor typically ranges her cattle in the mountains were ravaged by record-size wildfires this summer, robbing them of the grass the herds usually eat.

— Anna King, NPR, 25 Oct. 2026

Definition of ravage

Verb

Vucic dominated Serbian politics since becoming president of the Serbian Progressive Party, or SNS, in 2012, then becoming prime minister in 2014, then switching over to president in 2017.

— Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 27 Oct. 2026
Club name Meta Platforms , as well as SpaceX and Anthropic, are dominating the headlines on Monday with plans to raise their share of the shrinking capital pie for the next legs of their AI ambitions.

— Zev Fima, CNBC, 26 Oct. 2026

Definition of dominate

Verb

Experts who study plague are reluctant to say it’s been completely conquered.

— Faye Flam, Scientific American, 27 Oct. 2026
Eleven country-pop songs behind a cover with a distinctly 2000s aesthetic, from a Pennsylvania girl with her sights set on conquering Nashville.

— Ilaria Perrotta, Vanity Fair, 24 Oct. 2026

Definition of conquer

Verb

He had been courted by an investment group to helm a vast space on North Robertson Boulevard in West Hollywood, previously occupied by a Spanish-leaning restaurant called Soulmate.

— Bill Addison, Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 2026
In June, Israel launched a preëmptive strike against Egypt, setting off the Six-Day War, and proceeded to occupy the Sinai Peninsula, the Golan Heights, the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip.

— Jordi Graupera, New Yorker, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of occupy

Verb

Egypt's president sought to reassure the public that the country wouldn't attack Yemen, and that the military support is limited to defending Saudi territory.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 27 Oct. 2026
Back in 2023, Stevens revealed he was diagnosed with Guillain-Barré syndrome—a rare auto-immune disorder in which the body’s immune system attacks the nerves—and was working to relearn how to walk and use his hands.

— Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 27 Oct. 2026

Definition of attack

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inurns

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“Invade.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/invade. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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