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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
Rose Apodaca Jones, WWD, 16 Aug. 2024
The Dodgers star’s stature as a perennial MVP candidate could also help New Balance make inroads among MLB fans.
—Dan Bernstein, Sportico.com, 16 Aug. 2024
Many Latinos there say Democrats have taken them for granted for decades, as Republicans have made inroads with Latino voters.
—Russell Contreras, Axios, 11 Aug. 2024
Chuck Coughlin, a longtime Republican consultant in Arizona, said Harris can make inroads in Arizona where Biden was not able to.
—Gabriella Abdul-Hakim, ABC News, 9 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for inroad 
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'inroad.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Inroad.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/inroad. Accessed 22 Aug. 2024.
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