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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
Sean Stein Smith, Forbes, 22 Feb. 2025
In late 2024, Amazon’s quarterly revenue surpassed Walmart’s for the first time, in an indication that tech conglomerate is making inroads into more parts of the economy.
—Yeo Boon Ping, CNBC, 21 Feb. 2025
There, also, streamers are making inroads with Netflix securing rights to an NFL doubleheader on Christmas Day last year.
—Dade Hayes, Deadline, 20 Feb. 2025
Smith's retirement, however, may give them a chance to make inroads with the state's voters with an open race in 2026.
—Dan Perry, Newsweek, 13 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for inroad
Cite this Entry
“Inroad.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/inroad. Accessed 26 Feb. 2025.
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