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
MomTok got Taylor on the plane and off to star in The Bachelorette, but not before Dakota worms his way in one last time.
—
Joe Reid, Vulture, 13 Mar. 2026
The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills alum initially believed that the bug, which eluded detection and caused countless medical issues, wormed its way into her system while filming Bravo's The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip in Morocco in early 2023.
—Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 19 Feb. 2026
Her strange presence in Georgia — where Gabbard reportedly arranged for FBI agents to make a post-raid call to the president — looks like nothing more than a way to worm her way back into his good graces.
—Los Angeles Times, 4 Feb. 2026
Clara ends up moving to the small town and worming her way into everyone’s hearts.
—Literary Hub, 12 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for worm
Joe Reid, Vulture, 13 Mar. 2026
The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills alum initially believed that the bug, which eluded detection and caused countless medical issues, wormed its way into her system while filming Bravo's The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip in Morocco in early 2023.
—Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 19 Feb. 2026
Her strange presence in Georgia — where Gabbard reportedly arranged for FBI agents to make a post-raid call to the president — looks like nothing more than a way to worm her way back into his good graces.
—Los Angeles Times, 4 Feb. 2026
Clara ends up moving to the small town and worming her way into everyone’s hearts.
—Literary Hub, 12 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for worm
Recent Examples of Synonyms for worm
Verb
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Brian Crawford and his wife Laura helped form the nonprofit, Protect the Paluxy Valley, to fight against encroaching development impacting the rural area.—
Elizabeth Campbell,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
15 June 2026
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The informal gathering is typically off to the side in the back of the arena, with media members milling around but not encroaching on their space.—
Sam Amick,
New York Times,
10 June 2026
Verb
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If your kids need to use the restroom, there is a lengthy stretch midway through the film where a small army of Buzz Lightyear toys infiltrate a campsite, and Buzz and Woody unplug Lily’s charger back at Bonnie’s house.—
Patrick Ryan,
USA Today,
18 June 2026
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The story feels eerily prescient as AI continues to infiltrate everyday life, with some humans beginning to form emotional bonds with the humanlike programs in their life.—
Rebecca Ford,
Vanity Fair,
18 June 2026
Verb
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Longtime stores and newer spots at destinations like The Strip District Terminal are bringing extra staff, extending hours and stocking up for busy weekends when sidewalks are shoulder-to-shoulder, and lines snake out the doors.—
Gabby Sartori,
USA Today,
19 June 2026
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In certain soaring drone shots, the Gobi’s dry, greige sprawl looks like nothing so much as the surface of another planet, at least until it’s disrupted by snaking manmade infrastructure and drab light industry.—
Guy Lodge,
Variety,
18 June 2026
Verb
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Manager John Schneider is now forced to shuffle players like Andrés Gimenez and Ernie Clement at shortstop, often platooning Gimenez, and inserting lesser hitters at second base.—
Peter Chawaga,
Forbes.com,
18 June 2026
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Fed watchers expect Warsh could pass on inserting his view on the future path of rates from the grid, which is watched closely on Wall Street but has had an uneven track record as a forecasting tool.—
Jeff Cox,
CNBC,
17 June 2026
Verb
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As pests crawl through it, its jagged edges scrape their exoskeletons, dehydrating and killing them.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
18 June 2026
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For cybersecurity companies, identifying a digital agent crawling a website used to be enough evidence of malicious activity.—
Rachyl Jones,
semafor.com,
17 June 2026
Verb
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Argentina won the last World Cup after losing its opener to lowly Saudi Arabia, Portugal won Euro 2016 after sneaking into the knockouts following three draws in the group stage and Spain won the 2010 World Cup after losing its opening match to Switzerland.—
Patrick Sung Cuadrado,
CNN Money,
21 June 2026
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Steer snuck a slow roller under the glove of the second baseman Chisholm, and as Steer surged to second, José Caballero — who moved from left field to center field an inning earlier — came up throwing.—
Peter Sblendorio,
New York Daily News,
21 June 2026
Verb
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The look of elation that creeps over his face is a perfect encapsulation of everything that long-suffering Knicks fans were feeling when the ad aired.—
Hershal Pandya,
Vulture,
16 June 2026
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But the sheer brutality and creeping terror of the simplistic opening scene makes the rest of the film — with its gratuitous set pieces and CGI gore — seem much more inelegant.—
Brianna Zigler,
Entertainment Weekly,
15 June 2026
Verb
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As the Los Angeles Rams continue to bask in the glow of their honeymoon phase with star pass rusher Myles Garrett, the reigning champion Seattle Seahawks have somehow slipped into the shadows of the ultra-competitive NFC West.—
Jeff Howe,
New York Times,
16 June 2026
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People leave, culture erodes, the playbook changes faster than management can rewrite it, and so the edge slips to newcomers.—
Liz Hoffman,
semafor.com,
16 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Worm.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/worm. Accessed 23 Jun. 2026.
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