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

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

"They had to do this under this huge pressure of an encroaching red level storm that had the potential to completely derail the investigation and wash all of the evidence away."

From BBC • Feb. 10, 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

And, like I expect, my Ivy League brother stands still, a tiny sliver of fear encroaching on his face.

From "Saints and Misfits" by S.K. Ali

Related Words

• combative
• contentious
• destructive
• intrusive
• threatening