inch forward
Move by increments
To inch forward is to advance very slowly and gradually, moving by tiny increments rather than in a single motion.
The phrase suggests careful, deliberate progress: Traffic inched forward through the construction zone.
It extends to abstract advancement: Negotiations inched forward despite the tense atmosphere.
- creepStealthy, slow movement
- crawlMove slowly, low
- move slowlyProgress at reduced speed
- edgeBoundary or sharpness
- nudgeGentle push to prompt
shuffle · scoot · sidle · baby steps · advance · progress · make headway · gain ground · creeping · little by little · one step at a time · slow · gradual · tentative · cautious · painstaking · traffic · bumper to bumper
- advanceadvance, proceed, progress, forge ahead, move on
- motion idiomsin motion, on the move, on the go, move along, move on
- Baby Stepscrawling, toddling, wobbling, first steps, standing up
speed of movement
inch forwardsprint
Brief maximum-speed effort
rush · bolt · dash · leap forward · hurtle
inch, forward, inches, inched, inching, forwards, forwarded, forwarding