encroach

encroach Audio pronunciation

 
verb | in-KROHCH
 
What It Means
 
To encroach is to gradually move or go into an area that is beyond the usual or desired limits, or to gradually take or begin to use or affect something that belongs to, or is being used by, someone else. Encroach is often followed by on or upon.
 
// Conflicts between people and bears increase as humans continue to encroach on bear territory.
 
// They argue that the law would encroach on states' authority.
 
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encroach
verb
en·;croach in-;kr;ch  en-
encroached; encroaching; encroaches
Synonyms of encroach
intransitive verb

1
: to enter by gradual steps or by stealth into the possessions or rights of another
2
: to advance beyond the usual or proper limits
the gradually encroaching sea
encroacher noun
encroachment
in-;kr;ch-m;nt
en-
 noun


Did you know?
The history behind encroach is likely to hook you in. The word comes from the Middle English verb encrochen, which means "to get or seize." The Anglo-French predecessor of encrochen is encrocher, which was formed by combining the prefix en- ("in") with the noun croche ("hook"). Croche is also an ancestor of our word crochet; that word first referred to a crochet hook or to the needlework done with it. Encroach carries the meaning of "intrude," both in terms of privilege and property. The word can also hop over legal barriers to describe a general advancement beyond desirable or normal limits (such as a hurricane that encroaches on the mainland).

Synonyms
creep
inch
worm
Choose the Right Synonym for encroach

trespass, encroach, infringe, invade mean to make inroads upon the property, territory, or rights of another.

trespass implies an unwarranted or unlawful intrusion.

hunters trespassing on farmland
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
infringe implies an encroachment clearly violating a right or prerogative.

infringing a copyright
invade implies a hostile and injurious entry into the territory or sphere of another.

accused of invading their privacy
Examples of encroach in a Sentence
The suburbs encroach further into the rural areas each year.
each year the sea continues to encroach upon the island's beaches
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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
Clients called on All Risk Shield before the fires reached their properties to try and protect their homes from encroaching flames.
—Megan Cerullo, CBS News, 14 Jan. 2025
For one, rising sea levels are now encroaching on sand and limestone underneath our feet.
—Denise Hruby, Miami Herald, 14 Jan. 2025
The fires have encroached on residential neighbourhoods and commercial developments across the city in a way that locals — who are largely used to brush fires in the hills and the canyons — say is unprecedented.
—Christina Binkley, Vogue, 10 Jan. 2025