Showing results for "encroaching"

• present participle of encroach.

encroaching

American  

[en-kroh-ching] / ɛnˈkroʊ tʃɪŋ /

adjective

1. 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.

2. 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.

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Other Word Forms

• unencroaching
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of encroaching

encroach ( def. ) + -ing ² ( def. )

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

encroaching

And developers have been encroaching on the peaceful coastal village, but "we're still resisting them", she said.

From Barron's ● Jun. 30, 2026

Oura has played aggressive legal defense, filing patent complaints to block rivals such as Samsung and Indian smart-ring maker Ultrahuman from encroaching on the market.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 12, 2026

One of the last outsiders to make authorised visits to India's only "uncontacted" tribe says it may be time to reconnect with the isolated people -- in order to shield them from an encroaching world.

From Barron's ● May 18, 2026

The phrase was used to help describe the game's tense atmosphere, born from its fixed camera angles, forever encroaching zombies and a limited supply of ammunition to shoot them with.

From BBC ● Feb. 27, 2026

Yes, there they were, blood-red and luscious, as I had seen them the evening before, great bushes of them, massed beneath the open window, encroaching on to the sweep of the drive itself.

From "Rebecca" by Daphne du Maurier

Related Words

• combative
• contentious
• destructive
• intrusive
• threatening