1. a person or thing that gradually intrudes upon or takes over someone else’s territory, rights, or domain

Examples

• The homeowner complained about encroachers building fences on his property.
• Invasive species are encroachers that threaten native ecosystems.
• The company sued the encroacher for patent infringement.
• Local businesses viewed the large chain store as an encroacher on their market.
• The encroacher gradually expanded their garden into the neighbor’s yard.
• Wildlife officials removed encroachers from the protected wetland area.