infiltrate

verb

ˈin-(ˌ)fil-ˌtrāt How to pronounce infiltrate (audio)
Definition of infiltratenext
as in to sneak
to introduce in a gradual, secret, or clever way over time, undercover agents infiltrated the crime ring and eventually busted their gambling racket

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of infiltrate Both cases describe much of the same operation, including Cuban intelligence agents who infiltrated Brothers to the Rescue in Miami, gathered information about its aircraft and flight plans and relayed intelligence to authorities in Havana. — Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 19 Oct. 2026 After seeing his love die and discovering the truth about his existence, Darrow infiltrates the Gold society with an aim to bring it down. — Borys Kit, HollywoodReporter, 16 Oct. 2026 The show revolved around Crockett and Tubbs, two undercover detectives infiltrating South Florida’s criminal underworld. — Matt Grobar, Deadline, 13 Oct. 2026 Plus, even if a company isn’t intentionally using your data to train their models, one of their many agents could always go rogue, infiltrating company data and hoovering up individual users’ conversations with their chatbots. — Peter Hall, Scientific American, 13 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for infiltrate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for infiltrate
  1. sneak
  2. worm
  3. insert
  4. slip
  5. work in
Verb
  • However, even in situations where YCSE might appear ineligible, there is wiggle room that could allow Seyfried to sneak in.
    — Nate Jones, Vulture, 23 Oct. 2026
  • For a solid thirty minutes, the candidates defended their honor as the race’s most pro-Israel candidate — at times sneaking in jabs about their opponent.
    — Lauren Costantino, Miami Herald, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of sneak
Verb
  • Over the next several decades, and countless strangulations, Homer and Bart wormed their way into our hearts.
    — Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 10 Sep. 2026
  • The idea wormed its way through the State Fair machinery, and with a month and a half to go until gates opened, EatFuti heard they’d be allowed to test a pilot program.
    — Courtney Crowder, Des Moines Register, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of worm
Verb
  • Initially, county officials declined to open the list, citing the security threat of inserting a thumb drive of unknown origin into a government computer.
    — Miles Parks, NPR, 21 Oct. 2026
  • Bake chicken until deeply browned and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of a thigh registers 165°, 25–30 minutes.
    — Rebecca Firkser, Bon Appetit Magazine, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of insert
Verb
  • Some dental floss manufacturers have been quietly moving away from the synthetic material PTFE, which helped their product slip smoothly between teeth.
    — Margaret Hetherman The Washington Post, Arkansas Online, 19 Oct. 2026
  • The spacecraft will arrive in the Mars system in August 2027, then slip into orbit around Phobos a month later.
    — Mike Wall, Space.com, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of slip
Verb
  • She eventually was promoted over to the ice cream machine—and began to grow fond of the adrenaline-like rush that can come with working in a restaurant.
    — Preston Fore, Fortune, 24 Oct. 2026
  • The approach builds on Colossal’s existing work in genetic engineering and animal cloning.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of work in

Browse Nearby Words

infightings
infiltrate
infiltrated
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Infiltrate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/infiltrate. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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