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

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

It’s about territory, and one side is encroaching on the other’s home turf.

From The Wall Street Journal

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

Starring a stacked Guatemalan cast, including actor Tony Revolori, the project underlined the encroaching impacts of climate change that corrode once treasured memories, including those of Moreno, who grew up visiting the vacation destination.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• combative
• contentious
• destructive
• intrusive
• threatening