encroach
verb (used without object)
to advance beyond proper, established, or usual limits; make gradual inroads.
encroached
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past participleof encroach.past participle
A verb form used in perfect and passive verb constructions and that can also function as a modifier.
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past tense formof encroach.past tense
Used to describe completed actions or previous habitual actions.
encroachverb (used without object)to advance beyond proper, established, or usual limits; make gradual inroads.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
These are overcrowded open-air bazaars with footpaths that are missing or uneven or have been encroached upon by vendors, making it hard to navigate prams or sometimes even walk.
From BBC ● Jun. 3, 2026
The meta-reality and meta-commentary of the broadcast encroached on and eventually overtook the game on the field.
From Salon ● Apr. 13, 2026
Although the technology has encroached on people’s everyday lives in small and large ways, this seemed to be a more egregious example of it in housing.
From Slate ● Oct. 17, 2025
By the 1860s, the U.S. government reduced the Crow’s land to a much smaller strip, and the park’s creation further encroached on tribal lands.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2025
Nature had come into her own again and, little by little, in her stealthy, insidious way had encroached upon the drive with long tenacious fingers.
From "Rebecca" by Daphne du Maurier
