sandworm

noun

sand·​worm ˈsan(d)-ˌwərm 

: any of various sand-dwelling polychaete worms: such as

a

: any of several large burrowing worms (especially genus Alitta) often used as bait

b

: lugworm

Examples of sandworm in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Throughout the sci-fi trilogy, the large oasis area in the Western Region of the Emirate has provided a substantial portion of the landscape of the desert planet Arrakis, home to the monstrous sandworms. — Nick Vivarelli, Variety, 9 July 2026

And Chani rides off on a sandworm after refusing to bow down to Paul. — Jennifer Ouellette, ArsTechnica, 9 July 2026

The action is tenfold; there’s aerial warfare featuring lasers, sword fights that look straight out of Blade Runner, a blood-soaked and screaming Anya Taylor-Joy, and of course, an appearance from a massive sandworm, seemingly summoned by Chani. — Jaeden Pinder, Rolling Stone, 8 July 2026

Today, moviegoers are eating out of R2-D2, Shrek's outhouse and even a sandworm from planet Arrakis. — Greta Cross, USA Today, 1 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1776, in the meaning defined above