1
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of worm
Clara ends up moving to the small town and worming her way into everyone’s hearts.
—
Literary Hub, 12 Dec. 2025
Guiteau eventually worms his way into an audience, ostensibly seeking an ambassadorship for his dubious contributions to the campaign but, in reality, requesting a path to greatness.
—Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 11 Nov. 2025
Popping in and out of the party's campaign headquarters with abandon (Secret Service didn't begin to protect the president until 1901), Guiteau tries to worm his way into Garfield's circle and somehow profit.
—Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 6 Nov. 2025
Any deal would need to worm its way through the competition regulator.
—Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 6 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for worm
Literary Hub, 12 Dec. 2025
Guiteau eventually worms his way into an audience, ostensibly seeking an ambassadorship for his dubious contributions to the campaign but, in reality, requesting a path to greatness.
—Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 11 Nov. 2025
Popping in and out of the party's campaign headquarters with abandon (Secret Service didn't begin to protect the president until 1901), Guiteau tries to worm his way into Garfield's circle and somehow profit.
—Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 6 Nov. 2025
Any deal would need to worm its way through the competition regulator.
—Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 6 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for worm
Recent Examples of Synonyms for worm
Verb
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Space can also prove an issue, because some school administrators see even tiny gardens in 5-gallon buckets as encroaching on their schools’ playgrounds.—
Shelley Mitchell,
The Conversation,
23 Apr. 2026
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Songs here that start off surprisingly bracing resolve into big, sleek choruses, the work of firm believers in the power of heroic, high-protein mainstream alt-rock as a salve against encroaching darkness.—
Jon Dolan,
Rolling Stone,
22 Apr. 2026
Verb
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At Saturday night’s dinner, people infiltrated the hotel to protest the Iran war and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.—
Ana Ceballos
Follow,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Apr. 2026
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In 2013, according to the Department of Justice, a hacker affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps infiltrated the control system of a dam in New York State.—
Sue Halpern,
New Yorker,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Edelweiss Snacks extended its standby queue to corral the snaking line of hungry Disneylanders waiting to buy a Garlic Cheesy Brat, according to MiceChat.—
Brady MacDonald,
Oc Register,
23 Apr. 2026
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Another car snakes down the road.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
14 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The Padres were down two runs at the start of the sixth, and given the environment and a day off Friday, Stammen chose to chase the victory by inserting high-leverage left-hander Adrian Morejón.—
Kevin Acee,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
23 Apr. 2026
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If grown in containers, allow the soil to dry out a few inches deep before watering; insert a chopstick into the soil to check moisture levels.—
Arricca Elin SanSone,
Southern Living,
22 Apr. 2026
Verb
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One day after the fights, a toddler managed to crawl under a fence at Hersheypark's ZooAmerica and stick his hand into the wolf enclosure while his parents were reportedly distracted on their cell phones.—
Alexandra Simon,
CBS News,
22 Apr. 2026
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Adobe could be crawling its way out of the software stock abyss, after a buyback and an endorsement from Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang revived confidence in the digital media provider.—
Sarah Min,
CNBC,
22 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Scott Roche’s unlikely road to semi-pro football began with prodding from his players, followed by sneaking into a high school stadium to practice.—
Kyle Newman,
Denver Post,
26 Apr. 2026
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While others sneak photos of Newsom, a cluster of New York Times reporters just feet away are opting to forgo watching the governor hold court —and are instead watching the Lakers do so.—
Clara Molot,
Vanity Fair,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
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But the chain, which does not franchise in the traditional sense, has crept into Idaho and Colorado.—
Michael Deeds,
Idaho Statesman,
20 Apr. 2026
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Trailing plants like Creeping Jenny (Lysimachia nummularia) and common periwinkle (Vinca minor) spill over the edges of the pot, while creeping thyme (Thymus serpyllum) and bugleweed (Ajuga reptans) cover the surface with dense mats.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
19 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The Townsless, and Brunsonless, lineup had let a nine-point advantage at the end of the first period slip to just one in three and a half minutes.—
Darnell Mayberry,
New York Times,
21 Apr. 2026
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Before slipping into silence in the mid-’90s, Souled American had morphed from rootsy alt-country band to adding ambient shades and slowcore to their music.—
David Harris,
SPIN,
21 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Worm.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/worm. Accessed 28 Apr. 2026.
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