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 But Donaggio prefers to worm his way into your brain — and into the deepest pit of fears in your stomach. David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 20 Aug. 2025 Last month, hackers wormed their way into Tea and accessed sensitive user data; 70,000 user images and more than 1 million private messages reportedly were leaked, including communications about abortions, users’ driver’s-license photos, and phone numbers that had been shared in private messages. Albert Fox Cahn, The Atlantic, 11 Aug. 2025 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 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 White House is nonetheless fielding complaints, made in private and public, from Republicans who believe Trump is encroaching on Congress’s power of taxation and threatening to send the United States into an economic backslide.
    David Sivak, The Washington Examiner, 31 Oct. 2025
  • Now to see again, the third time, essentially, their desire to expand the freeway and encroach towards McCrorey Heights, is problematic.
    Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Observer, 24 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Continue reading … RADICAL TAKEOVER – Mamdani's socialist allies praise video exposing their plan to infiltrate Dem Party.
    , FOXNews.com, 3 Nov. 2025
  • Michelle spins a long and complicated tale, but insists Teddy was wrong about the Andromedans trying to infiltrate and poison humanity.
    Megan McCluskey, Time, 31 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Two incumbents — west Charlotte’s Thelma Byers-Bailey and Summer Nunn, whose district snakes along the county’s southern border — chose not to run for reelection to the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools Board of Education.
    Josh Bergeron, Charlotte Observer, 2 Nov. 2025
  • Styled by Brad Goreski, Moore wore silver and ruby red drop earrings, a silver bracelet, and snaking rings.
    Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 2 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • The Blue Jays inserted Barger specifically to get lefty Anthony Banda into the game and force a pitching change.
    Fabian Ardaya, New York Times, 25 Oct. 2025
  • In addition, many Department of Education employees who were furloughed were surprised to see a message blaming Democrats for the government shutdown inserted into their out-of-office replies.
    The NPR Network, NPR, 24 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Ecologically, spiders are important predators of crawling insects.
    Jasmine Laws, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Oct. 2025
  • This 2022 Netflix original documentary will have your skin crawling.
    Emy LaCroix, PEOPLE, 29 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • The woman did not stay at the hospital long, however, and shortly after checking in was able to sneak out of the facility unbeknownst to law enforcement, per the affidavit.
    Chris Spargo, PEOPLE, 29 Oct. 2025
  • Don’t forget to sneak a doughnut for yourself before sharing, because the only thing spookier than a ghost is an empty Krispy Kreme dozens box!
    Gabe Hauari, USA Today, 29 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Domestically, the president is also navigating creeping inflation that is threatening his party’s prospects in the midterm elections, with Democrats staking their return to power on fears of an affordability crisis.
    David Sivak, The Washington Examiner, 31 Oct. 2025
  • But with Neo stepping into the household and taking on labor like housekeeping, job-seekers may have to compete with AI innovations creeping into the blue-collar world.
    Jessica Coacci, Fortune, 31 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Women’s Power Stride Tab Socks 3-pack Designed with training in mind, this three-pack of no-show socks boasts an interior grip that keeps them from slipping during use.
    Sophie Dodd, Travel + Leisure, 26 Oct. 2025
  • Messi picked up the ball from his compatriot Rodrigo De Paul in midfield and burst toward the backpedaling Nashville back line before slipping the ball outside to Luis Suárez.
    The Athletic Staff, New York Times, 25 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Worm.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/worm. Accessed 5 Nov. 2025.

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