worm

1
as in to encroach
to advance gradually beyond the usual or desirable limits neighborhoods worming into lands reserved for wildlife

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2
as in to infiltrate
to introduce in a gradual, secret, or clever way over a period of several years, the undercover agent was able to worm his way into the drug kingpin's confidence

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3
as in to snake
to move slowly with the body close to the ground the cat silently wormed along the ground as it snuck up on the bird

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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 worm Born in Georgia, McAllister was a lawyer who married a minor heiress, toured Europe, then wormed his way into the upper echelons of New York’s elite, advising them on how to emulate the Old World’s aristocracy and becoming a special friend of Mrs. Astor. Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 4 Aug. 2025 There's also the matter of the cartel's interest in leveraging Tommy to worm their way into the oil business. EW.com, 27 July 2025 Technically, the Singapore Sling is not a tiki drink, but this tropical concoction has wormed its way into the tiki canon. Jeremy Repanich, Robb Report, 26 July 2025 The trailer revealed that Don is the biological father of Blue, and Blue’s single mother, Dixie, appears to be hatching a secret plan to get Blue to worm his way into the vast Hart family fortune. Max Gao, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2019 See All Example Sentences for worm
Recent Examples of Synonyms for worm
Verb
  • The partnership was formed to address the invasive trees and shrubs encroaching on the natural grasslands in TNC's Folsom Point Preserve in Iowa, which is located just over 12 miles from Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo.
    Kelli Bender, PEOPLE, 17 Oct. 2025
  • Ideal for the coats-and-boots season fastly encroaching.
    Miriam Schwartz, Boston Herald, 17 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • From Taylor’s return to radio and late-night interviews to brand activations and more, TS12 has completely infiltrated the mainstream in a way that TS11 did not.
    Eric Renner Brown, Billboard, 14 Oct. 2025
  • Windows were already beginning to glow with firelight when Balmer smashed another window and infiltrated the house.
    Elizabeth Wolfe, CNN Money, 14 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Debates have raged in the busy industry program, standby ticket queues have snaked outside venues for the hottest premieres and the stars — in their droves — have been out in force and on major charm offensives, with distributors using the fest to launch both awards and release campaigns.
    Alex Ritman, Variety, 17 Oct. 2025
  • The campers and counselors died after torrential rain forced water levels on the river, which snakes through multiple summer camps in the region, to rise from 3 feet to 30 feet in a matter of hours.
    Karina Tsui, CNN Money, 15 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Having a large needle inserted into my spine for 20 minutes in order to collect enough cerebrospinal fluid was terrifying.
    Michelle Maves, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Oct. 2025
  • However, the real ineptitude occurs a little earlier when River interprets a fight that Gimball has with Jaffrey’s chief of staff, Tyson Bowman (Abraham Popoola), as a physical attack and inserts himself into the scene, setting off this tragicomic series of events.
    Scott Tobias, Vulture, 15 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • The innovation could pave the way for medical tools that move through the body’s arteries or inspection devices that crawl into complex machinery.
    Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 16 Oct. 2025
  • Over three hours, small groups navigate a challenging underground world, scrambling over boulders, belly-crawling through narrow passages, and squeezing through tight spaces to discover hidden marble wonders.
    Heide Brandes, AFAR Media, 15 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Kevin sneaks his way into a room at the Plaza Hotel and gets up to his usual shenanigans in the building, which was owned in real life by Donald at the time, with Ivana serving as the property's president.
    Lauren Huff, Entertainment Weekly, 15 Oct. 2025
  • Jim snuck in and took an aisle seat as the lights dimmed.
    Jon Landau, HollywoodReporter, 14 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • The shadow of a mad scientist is always creeping over his shoulder, tapping on it, reminding him to be clever.
    Troy Renck, Denver Post, 13 Oct. 2025
  • After battling late summer heat, the Greater Cincinnati region is finally starting to cool down with fall temperatures slowly creeping in.
    Kaycee Sloan, Cincinnati Enquirer, 13 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Buffett’s master class on the problem with gold The price of gold slipped on Friday after hitting a record high above $4,300 an ounce earlier this week.
    Alex Crippen, CNBC, 18 Oct. 2025
  • The sophomore slipped past a tackler, then took off for a 51-yard touchdown reception to slice the deficit to 16-13.
    Brendan Connelly, Boston Herald, 17 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Worm.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/worm. Accessed 22 Oct. 2025.

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