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.
The meta-reality and meta-commentary of the broadcast encroached on and eventually overtook the game on the field.
From Salon ● Apr. 13, 2026
Such upstart trading platforms have encroached on the turf of established gambling companies by offering “event contracts” on games that are similar to traditional sports bets.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 22, 2025
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
As the Russian faced match point at 5-4 in the third set, a photographer encroached the playing surface between Bonzi's first and second serves.
From BBC ● Aug. 28, 2025
The blackness encroached around my field of vision as I pulled myself up, eighteen steps, steep as hell.
From "The Fault in Our Stars" by John Green
