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

Gyms are positioning themselves as alternative spaces for socialising, its senior director of leisure and trends Paul Davies says, which is "encroaching on the traditional role of bars and nightclubs".

From BBC • Mar. 21, 2026

Last week, Cerebras announced it had signed up Amazon Web Services, the largest cloud provider, as its newest customer, further encroaching on Nvidia’s business.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 16, 2026

A mix of short-seller reports, worries about artificial intelligence encroaching on its core game-advertising business, and weakness in tech stocks has weighed on shares.

From Barron's • Feb. 13, 2026

“One of the big puzzles of 2025 is that markets ignored President Trump encroaching on the Fed,” he wrote.

From MarketWatch • Dec. 31, 2025

The rest of the group lined both sides of the road along a hundred-foot stretch where it narrowed from encroaching bush into a single lane.

From "The Marrow Thieves" by Cherie Dimaline

Related Words

• combative
• contentious
• destructive
• intrusive
• threatening