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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
Molly Peck, USA TODAY, 4 Mar. 2025
Even as cryptoassets continue to make significant inroads into mainstream financial policy conversations, one significant obstacle and gap in the U.S. marketplace continues to hinder industry growth and expansion; the purpose of staking cryptoassets.
—Sean Stein Smith, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2025
Elko and his staff are smart to make inroads in Georgia, arguably the most talent-rich state in the country.
—Grace Raynor, The Athletic, 26 Feb. 2025
However, recent polling suggests the inroads that Trump made with Black Americans in the 2024 election may not have stuck.
—Matt Robison, Newsweek, 25 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 9 Mar. 2025.
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