inroad

noun

in·​road ˈin-ˌrōd How to pronounce inroad (audio)
plural inroads
1
: an advance or penetration often at the expense of someone or something
usually used in plural
2
: a sudden hostile incursion : raid

Did you know?

Inroad is a combination of in and road, both of which are pretty mundane, as far as words go. But the first-and-oldest-meaning of inroad hints at a meaning of road other than the "way for traveling" one. Beginning back in the days of Old English, road referred to an armed hostile incursion made on horseback. (Raid comes from this use of road and also formerly specified incursions on horseback.) Road, as well as inroad, has lost its violent connotation. While inroads are often made at the expense of someone or something, they are at times simply advances, as when an artist is said to be "making inroads into a community."

Examples of inroad in a Sentence

the army is finally making inroads into enemy territory
Recent Examples on the Web Throughout his presidency, Biden has frequently invoked his ties to labor unions, while straining at times to make inroads with union members. Lauren Kaori Gurley, Washington Post, 12 Mar. 2024 Adding to the turbulent outlook for Lee and Porter is anticipated low turnout in the solidly blue where Republicans have made subtle inroads in recent years, flipping a handful of House seats in the midterm elections. Kaia Hubbard, CBS News, 5 Mar. 2024 Still, China has made significant inroads with its much larger financial resources, signing infrastructure deals and securing access to ports in countries surrounding India. Maahil Mohamed Elke Scholiers, New York Times, 5 Mar. 2024 The 49ers have made a series of errors, while the Chiefs have struggled to make inroads with the Niners' defense. 11d ago / 4:07 PM PST David K. Li A huge punt swings the field around. Jason Abbruzzese, NBC News, 12 Feb. 2024 The continent is struggling with threats to democracy, and the EU in particular with inroads of the far right into the political mainstream. Raf Casert, Fortune, 1 Feb. 2024 The act has made inroads on several Billboard charts as well, including three top 10 hits on the Global 200 and four on the Global Excl. Paul Thompson, Billboard, 28 Feb. 2024 For Republicans, Trump and former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley will appear on the ballot, as Haley hopes to make inroads, despite a dominant showing from the former president in each of the early state primaries so far. Kaia Hubbard, CBS News, 27 Feb. 2024 The announcement comes at a time when induction cooking is starting to finally make inroads stateside. Michael Wolf, Forbes, 26 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'inroad.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1548, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of inroad was in 1548

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Dictionary Entries Near inroad

Cite this Entry

“Inroad.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/inroad. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

inroad

noun
in·​road ˈin-ˌrōd How to pronounce inroad (audio)
1
: a sudden hostile invasion : raid
2
: an important advance often at the expense of someone or something
making inroads against the competition

More from Merriam-Webster on inroad

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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