What does encroach mean?
Word: Encroach
Part of Speech: Verb
Meaning: Encroach means to go slowly beyond a proper limit and take over land, time or rights that belong to others.
Synonyms: intrude
How do you spell encroach?
Syllables: en - croach
Tricky part: The long o sound is written oa. Encroch and encrouch are the usual slips.
Watch out for: encroch, encrouch
Memory tip: Picture a goat wandering onto a neighbour's land: it keeps the oa of goat.
Encroach in a sentence
Example 1: Please do not let your bag encroach on the next desk.
Example 2: Television should not encroach on the hours you need for sleep.
Example 3: Bushes had encroached on the pavement, so walkers used the road.
Fun Fact
It goes back to an Old French word for hooking or seizing. The same hook idea lies behind the craft of crochet.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Cookie
Find the misspelt word in the sentence:
The weeds had begun to incroach on the vegetable patch behind the school kitchen until the gardening club cleared them away.
a) gardening
b) kitchen
c) incroach
d) vegetable
Show answer
c) incroach. The verb opens with en, not in, as enclose does.
Mingle-Mangle
Unjumble the word in the sentence and choose it:
Tall new flats continue to chaecnor on the green belt around the city.
a) border
b) impose
c) encroach
d) impinge
Show answer
c) encroach. The jumble has two c's, and no other option has even one.
Word Connection
Choose the antonym of the word encroach as used in the sentence:
The sea has begun to encroach on the fishing villages along this coast.
a) advance
b) retreat
c) spread
d) creep
Show answer
b) retreat. The sea here is moving in, and the reverse would be to move back.
Spell-o-Spell
Three of these words are spelt correctly. Choose the meaning of the misspelt word:
1. encroach 2. territory 3. perimeter 4. frontiar
a) the border between two countries
b) the outer edge of an area
c) to move slowly past a limit
d) land under one government's control
Show answer
a) the border between two countries. Frontier ends in ier.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. Aman's homework has encroached on his football practice. What has happened?
a) he now plays football more often
b) his coach has set the homework
c) he now has less time to play
d) his homework is finished early
Show answer
c) he now has less time to play
2. Spot the example of encroaching.
a) a child walking along the pavement
b) a farmer ploughing his own field
c) a stall spreading across a footpath
d) a bus stopping at its usual stand
Show answer
c) a stall spreading across a footpath
