inroad

[ in-rohd ]

noun

1. a damaging or serious encroachment:

   inroads on our savings.

2. a sudden hostile or predatory incursion; raid; foray.

inroad

/ ˈɪnˌrəʊd /

noun

1. an invasion or hostile attack; raid or incursion
2. an encroachment or intrusion

Word History and Origins

Origin of inroad¹

First recorded in 1540–50; in- ¹ + road

Example Sentences

In December, Hungary announced that one of the world’s largest EV manufacturers, China’s BYD, will open its first European EV production factory in the south of the country — an inroad that could upend the competitiveness of the continent’s auto industry.

From Seattle Times

Yet in December, Hungary announced that one of the world’s largest EV manufacturers, China’s BYD, will open its first European EV production factory in the south of the country — an inroad into the EU that could upend the competitiveness of the continent’s auto industry.

From Seattle Times

“If your ultimate objective is to reduce support for Ukraine, your inroad might be talking about how bad things are on the southern border. Their path to win this thing is to get the U.S. and the E.U. to stop sending weapons and aid to Ukraine.”

From Seattle Times

"The generation of human neurons in a dish from stem cells provides a unique inroad into the study of brain health and disease," the journal editors note in a research briefing that accompanied the study.

From Science Daily

"These findings bolster prior work that facial stereotypes may have disastrous effects in the real world, but, more importantly, provide a potential inroad toward combating these sorts of biases," Freeman said.

From Science Daily

Related Words

• encroachment
• incursion