inched
Moved very slowly
Inched is the past tense of inch, meaning to move very slowly or by small increments: The car inched forward in traffic, She inched closer to the edge.
The word emphasizes cautious, gradual progress rather than decisive movement.
Moved slowly, furtively
- edgedHad a border
- crawledMoved on hands and knees
- slidMoved smoothly across
- nudgedPushed gently to prompt
eased · wormed · shuffled · scooted · sidled · snaked · wriggled · squeezed
Moved slowly, furtively
- snuckMoved in secret
- slippedLost traction momentarily
- slidMoved smoothly across
- sidledMoved furtively sideways
prowled · slinked · tiptoed · stole · eased · ghosted · skulked · lurked
Part divided by whole
- millimeterThousandth of a meter
- centimeterMetric length unit
- hairbreadthExtremely narrow margin
- incrementUnit of increase
calibration · ruler · tape · marking · gradation · precision · tolerance · clearance
Came to possess
- advancedFar along in development
- headwayForward progress achieved
- forwardOnward in direction
- closerOne who concludes
nearer · approached · neared · toward · onward · step-by-step · bit-by-bit · milestone
Developing slowly over time
- glacialOf frozen rivers
- sluggishSlow and inactive
- ploddingMoving slowly, heavily
- unhurriedTaking one's time
snail-paced · tortoise-like · creeping · dawdling · leisurely · painstaking · laborious · incremental
With deliberate attention
- gingerlyWith wary caution
- tentativelyWithout full commitment
- warilyWith watchful caution
- cautiouslyIn a guarded manner
delicately · hesitantly · guardedly · nervously · apprehensively · timidly · slowly · deliberately
crept
Moved slowly, furtively
nudged · eased · wormed · shuffled · scooted · sidled · snaked · wriggled · squeezed · maneuvered
crept
Moved slowly, furtively
sidled · prowled · slinked · tiptoed · stole · eased · ghosted · skulked · lurked · furtive
fraction
Part divided by whole
- millimeterThousandth of a meter
- centimeterMetric length unit
- hairbreadthExtremely narrow margin
increment · calibration · ruler · tape · marking · gradation · precision · tolerance · clearance · margin
gained
Came to possess
closer · nearer · approached · neared · toward · onward · step-by-step · bit-by-bit · milestone · ground
gradual
Developing slowly over time
unhurried · snail-paced · tortoise-like · creeping · dawdling · leisurely · painstaking · laborious · incremental · imperceptible
carefully
With deliberate attention
- gingerlyWith wary caution
- tentativelyWithout full commitment
- warilyWith watchful caution
cautiously · delicately · hesitantly · guardedly · nervously · apprehensively · timidly · slowly · deliberately · mindfully
- slowed downbraked, decelerated, reduced speed, slackened, throttled
- inch by inchIn tiny successive stages
- every inchThe whole extent
- give an inch
- budge an inchMove even slightly
- square inchUnit of area measurement
- cubic inchUnit measuring three-dimensional space