encroach

verb/ɪnˈkroʊtʃ/

Frequency rank: #19,256 of 20,003 in the WORDED list (wordfreq data)

Meaning

to gradually intrude on or take over someone else's territory or rights

Illustration for the English word “encroach”

Example sentence

The new housing development is starting to encroach on the wildlife habitat at the edge of town.

Synonyms & related words

More words in ranks 19,201–19,300