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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
Patrick Hipes, Deadline, 22 Nov. 2024
The Republican won all seven battleground states, secured the popular vote and made inroads in some Democratic strongholds.
—Filip Timotija, The Hill, 21 Nov. 2024
Delta rival United Airlines has made inroads in growing profit and capturing high-end travelers.
—Leslie Josephs, CNBC, 20 Nov. 2024
And four-year colleges in blue and purple states including New Jersey, New Hampshire and Pennsylvania — where Republicans also made inroads this year — have been posting some of the steepest tuition in the country.
—Alexandra Byrne, NBC News, 17 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for inroad 
Dictionary Entries Near inroad
Cite this Entry
“Inroad.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/inroad. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.
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