worm

verb

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
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
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 Like parasites, those jukebox musicals wormed their way into Broadway and slowly killed the medium. — Jesse Eisenberg, New Yorker, 20 July 2026 The flea larvae, which look like tiny maggots, worm their way into the carpet or mattress, feeding on the flea dirt that their parents left behind, says Benson. — Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 28 May 2026 OpenAI’s ChatGPT has wormed its way into more and more parts of consumers’ lives, from work to their children’s education, and even mental health and romantic relationships. — Will McCurdy, PC Magazine, 16 May 2026 The best success comes using it in jungle-thick cover, worming a minnow down between uncooperative branches. — John Phillips, Outdoor Life, 14 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for worm
Recent Examples of Synonyms for worm
  1. encroach
  2. infiltrate
  3. snake
  4. insert
  5. crawl
  6. sneak
  7. creep
  8. slip
Verb
  • The buzzer sounded and Banchero encroached on Johnson’s space before Dyson Daniels and Onyeka Okongwu tried to break them apart.
    — Lauren Williams, AJC.com, 23 Oct. 2026
  • In general, California property owners can trim branches and roots that encroach onto their land.
    — Sacbee.com, Sacbee.com, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of encroach
Verb
  • Across the 13-episode first season (critics received three episodes for review), the pair immerse themselves in a newlywed bubble while trying to embrace the chaotic family and friends who orbit them — often infiltrating their private moments.
    — Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 23 Oct. 2026
  • In addition, Homeland Security was apparently investigating nonprofits and other organizations that help get out the vote, including interrogating the staff and covertly infiltrating their operations, according to court documents.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of infiltrate
Verb
  • The pair notices that others can’t make calls, either; a restaurant loses its checkout interface; and everyone is snaking cords around to keep devices charged for the moment when service returns.
    — Bethanne Patrick, Los Angeles Times, 28 Oct. 2026
  • Unsurprisingly, the idea of comically long private paths snaking through fragile wetlands so a lucky few can get to their boats wasn’t popular with the public.
    — AJ Willingham, AJC.com, 28 Oct. 2026
Definition of snake
Verb
  • Days later, Biden took the unusual step of inserting himself into state politics and publicly backed the bill.
    — Sacbee.com, Sacbee.com, 28 Oct. 2026
  • The Inlexzo device goes in a small tube that's inserted through the urethra.
    — Stephanie Stahl, CBS News, 28 Oct. 2026
Definition of insert
Verb
  • However, a new type of gut-crawling worm being designed by engineers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), may actually be here to help.
    — Mack DeGeurin, Popular Science, 29 Oct. 2026
  • Firefighters bravely crawled past the fire before hoses reached it to pull the five family members out.
    — Kerry Burke, New York Daily News, 29 Oct. 2026
Definition of crawl
Verb
  • There's no way a cat could sneak past the dogs through the doggy door.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 2 Nov. 2026
  • That loss by the Huskies could be what Timber Creek (6-3) needed to sneak into the 6A -1 bracket.
    — Chris Hays, The Orlando Sentinel, 31 Oct. 2026
Definition of sneak
Verb
  • Eisenkot is viewed by supporters as a capable leader with sterling security credentials who, along with his likely governing partners, could act as a bulwark against creeping illiberalism.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 28 Oct. 2026
  • LePage’s decision to spend more time in Florida after leaving the governor’s mansion has also crept into the consideration of at least some voters following a drumbeat of attacks by Dunlap.
    — David Sivak, The Washington Examiner, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of creep
Verb
  • John Turturro slipped into Madison Square Park and greeted a man sitting inconspicuously in a black coat and a fedora.
    — Michael Schulman, New Yorker, 26 Oct. 2026
  • Everything else, so soft and smooth, slips through our grasp.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of slip

Browse Nearby Words

worldwide
worm
wormed
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Cite this Entry

“Worm.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/worm. Accessed 3 Nov. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on worm

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about worm

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