as in whim
a sudden impulsive and apparently unmotivated idea or action
the last maggot he got in his head resulted in a disastrous extramarital affair
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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 maggot
Edible insects in the form of wriggling maggots or hairy caterpillars are both delicacy and staple in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), a central African nation of nearly 120 million people.
—
Emmet Livingstone, NPR, 20 Sep. 2025
Neanderthals who lived in present-day Israel may have passed down local butchery techniques, and experiments indicated that late Pleistocene Neanderthals’ stable nitrogen-isotope ratios indicate not hypercarnivory but a diet rich in maggots.
—Rafil Kroll-Zaidi, Harpers Magazine, 19 Sep. 2025
There were 16 live maggots on the floor of the kitchen.
—Sacbee.com, 29 Aug. 2025
In one visceral scene of complex dignity, Mother removes maggots from a living man’s rotting flesh.
—Ritesh Mehta, IndieWire, 27 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for maggot
Emmet Livingstone, NPR, 20 Sep. 2025
Neanderthals who lived in present-day Israel may have passed down local butchery techniques, and experiments indicated that late Pleistocene Neanderthals’ stable nitrogen-isotope ratios indicate not hypercarnivory but a diet rich in maggots.
—Rafil Kroll-Zaidi, Harpers Magazine, 19 Sep. 2025
There were 16 live maggots on the floor of the kitchen.
—Sacbee.com, 29 Aug. 2025
In one visceral scene of complex dignity, Mother removes maggots from a living man’s rotting flesh.
—Ritesh Mehta, IndieWire, 27 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for maggot
Recent Examples of Synonyms for maggot
Noun
-
Rather than spending millions in a relentless quest to solve the problems wrought by Coors Field, the Rockies appear to have capitulated to its whims.—
Andy McCullough,
New York Times,
1 Oct. 2025
-
One Battle also exemplifies where Hall’s career has taken her, which is to say across genres, moods, and Hollywood whims.—
Matthew Jacobs,
Vulture,
30 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Are the bees, in fact, pantomiming the way itself?—
Maria Mocerino,
Interesting Engineering,
6 Oct. 2025
-
Gardeners know pollinators are essential, especially those industrious bees buzzing tirelessly in and out of squash blossoms and trumpet vines.—
Arricca Elin SanSone,
Southern Living,
6 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Maggot.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/maggot. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share