encroach

[ en-krohch ]

/ ɛnˈkroʊtʃ /

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See synonyms for: encroach / encroaching / encroacher on Thesaurus.com

verb (used without object)

to advance beyond proper, established, or usual limits; make gradual inroads: A dictatorship of the majority is encroaching on the rights of the individual.

to trespass upon the property, domain, or rights of another, especially stealthily or by gradual advances.

QUIZ

THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?

Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.

Question 1 of 7

In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

candystring

candyfloss

candypuff

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Origin of encroach

First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English encrochen, from Anglo-French encrocher, Old French encrochier “to catch hold of, seize,” equivalent to en- en-¹ + -crochier, verbal derivative of croc “hook,” from Germanic; see crooked, crook¹

synonym study for encroach

1, 2. See trespass.

OTHER WORDS FROM encroach

en·croach·er, nounun·en·croached, adjective

Words nearby encroach

encounter session, encourage, encouragement, encrimson, encrinite, encroach, encroaching, encroachment, en croûte, encrust, encrustation

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use encroach in a sentence

As she saw Mehta lurking nearby, she asked Mehta not to encroach.
A divisive Jets reporter, accused of bullying, loses his place on the beat|Ben Strauss|December 11, 2020|Washington Post
That allows you to zip away from any cars that you think might be encroaching into your space, but it also means that you can scare yourself if you twist it too much.
I rode an electric motorcycle for the first time. Here’s what I learned.|Rob Verger|December 10, 2020|Popular-Science
Confirmed cases of Lyme in the US have doubled since the ’90s, when housing developments increasingly encroached into rural areas and created patchy forest remnants.
The fight to stop the next pandemic starts in the jungles of Borneo|Brian Barth|December 2, 2020|Popular-Science
That reality has been driven home repeatedly for legacy brands that have watched emerging direct-to-consumer brands encroach on their territory with innovative new models for connecting with and advertising to consumers.
Marketers have successfully pivoted to first-party data, but struggle to deploy it|Adstra|December 2, 2020|Digiday

Nearby coastal states like Oregon and Washington are also seeing record blazes, some of which are encroaching on major population centers.
“Unprecedented”: What’s behind the California, Oregon, and Washington wildfires|Umair Irfan|September 11, 2020|Vox
In the east, the Chinese army continues periodically to encroach on Indian territory.
Farewell to Manmohan Singh, India’s Puppet Prime Minister|Kapil Komireddi|January 5, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Any attempt to encroach on it, even by an iota, will ultimately lead to our enslavement by a federal tyranny.
Gun-Control Foes Misunderstand the Intent of the Second Amendment|Jack Schwartz|December 18, 2012|DAILY BEAST
How does this symbolize constraints on girls and women, and encroach on our right to be simply as we are, at any given moment?
Ashley Judd Slaps Media in the Face for Speculation Over Her ‘Puffy’ Appearance|Ashley Judd|April 9, 2012|DAILY BEAST
He got really mad when they started to encroach on his personal life.
Why Manny Ramirez Hates Fans|Will Doig|March 9, 2009|DAILY BEAST
The goods manager was not aggressive, and it was sometimes thought that Mathieson inclined to encroach upon his territory.
Fifty Years of Railway Life in England, Scotland and Ireland|Joseph Tatlow
He was suddenly ashamed, humbled, feeling in her love a quality upon which no shameful circumstance could encroach.
Fidelity|Susan Glaspell
Give Great Britain time to encroach and fortify upon all our frontiers?
The Diplomatic Correspondence of the American Revolution, Vol. IV (of 12)|Various
As the tent was found to encroach partly on the same crevasse, it may be imagined that we did not dally long over the meal.
The Home of the Blizzard|Douglas Mawson
Vines threatened to engulf the circling street of sepulchers in greenery and bloom, and grass to encroach on the flower plots.
Greyfriars Bobby|Eleanor Atkinson

British Dictionary definitions for encroach

encroach

/ (ɪnˈkrəʊtʃ) /

verb (intr)

(often foll by on or upon) to intrude gradually, stealthily, or insidiously upon the rights, property, etc, of another

to advance beyond the usual or proper limits

Derived forms of encroach

encroacher, nounencroachingly, adverbencroachment, noun

Word Origin for encroach

C14: from Old French encrochier to seize, literally: fasten upon with hooks, from en- 1 + croc hook, of Germanic origin; see crook

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

encroach

Origin of encroach

synonym study for encroach

OTHER WORDS FROM encroach

Words nearby encroach

Words related to encroach

How to use encroach in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for encroach

Derived forms of encroach

Word Origin for encroach