- present participle of encroach.
encroaching
Americanadjective
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advancing beyond proper, accepted, or usual limits; making gradual inroads into or onto something.
We cleared out the encroaching weeds along the edge of the driveway and trimmed the plantain trees.
-
trespassing on the property, domain, or rights of another, especially stealthily or gradually.
The hill forts in the British Isles were probably built by the native Britons to defend themselves against encroaching enemy tribes.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of encroaching
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.
This 2.5-inch lizard lives exclusively in the West Texas dunes, where oil and gas production has been encroaching on its territory, the groups argued.
From Salon ● Jul. 15, 2026
Gathering it all in one place makes it feel less like its encroaching on your life.
From BBC ● Jun. 28, 2026
Keeping the encroaching natural world at bay is a struggle in neighborhoods adjacent to Los Angeles County’s wildlands.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 26, 2026
Now, with a nod from regulators, cryptocurrency firms are encroaching on that territory, and investors in the operators’ stock are worried.
From Barron's ● Jun. 8, 2026
Dimple sat beside him, her arms and legs stiff, as if she were afraid of encroaching on his personal space, of touching him.
From "When Dimple Met Rishi" by Sandhya Menon
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
