as in whims
a sudden impulsive and apparently unmotivated idea or action
the last maggot he got in his head resulted in a disastrous extramarital affair
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Recent Examples of maggots
Radishes Rapid growth makes radishes ideal as companion plants and trap crops, effective for drawing flea beetles, aphids, slugs, snails, harlequin bugs, and cabbage root maggots away from tomatoes, eggplant, brassicas, cucumbers, and squash.
—
Barbara Gillette, The Spruce, 3 May 2026
Then, eggs hatch maggots that burrow and eat live tissue.
—Eduardo Cuevas, USA Today, 25 Apr. 2026
The agency said patients should not try to remove or dispose of the maggots themselves.
—Mary Kekatos, ABC News, 22 Apr. 2026
This includes a weeklong winter power outage in 2019, and reports, as recently as last year, of maggots in inmates’ meals.
—Diego Lasarte, New Yorker, 21 Apr. 2026
The kitchen of the restaurant is crawling with maggots, the damp eats away at the tatami mats and wallpaper decorated with a design of a forest landscape.
—Shanti Escalante-De Mattei, ARTnews.com, 6 Apr. 2026
Symptoms include seeing or feeling maggots move within a skin wound or sore, or in the ears, nose, eyes or mouth.
—Rachael O'Connor, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Mar. 2026
Basil tends to repel flies and maggots, and marigolds do as well.
—Haniya Rae, Martha Stewart, 12 Mar. 2026
Their eggs, laid in open wounds or on mucous membranes, would then not hatch into the flesh-eating maggots that can infest livestock, wild mammals, household pets and even humans.
—John Hanna, Fortune, 10 Feb. 2026
Barbara Gillette, The Spruce, 3 May 2026
Then, eggs hatch maggots that burrow and eat live tissue.
—Eduardo Cuevas, USA Today, 25 Apr. 2026
The agency said patients should not try to remove or dispose of the maggots themselves.
—Mary Kekatos, ABC News, 22 Apr. 2026
This includes a weeklong winter power outage in 2019, and reports, as recently as last year, of maggots in inmates’ meals.
—Diego Lasarte, New Yorker, 21 Apr. 2026
The kitchen of the restaurant is crawling with maggots, the damp eats away at the tatami mats and wallpaper decorated with a design of a forest landscape.
—Shanti Escalante-De Mattei, ARTnews.com, 6 Apr. 2026
Symptoms include seeing or feeling maggots move within a skin wound or sore, or in the ears, nose, eyes or mouth.
—Rachael O'Connor, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Mar. 2026
Basil tends to repel flies and maggots, and marigolds do as well.
—Haniya Rae, Martha Stewart, 12 Mar. 2026
Their eggs, laid in open wounds or on mucous membranes, would then not hatch into the flesh-eating maggots that can infest livestock, wild mammals, household pets and even humans.
—John Hanna, Fortune, 10 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for maggots
Noun
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Poor Andy Sachs — in the form of the Disney princess-eyed Anne Hathaway — may have suffered the verbal lashings of a boss who expected whims to move worlds on her behalf.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
29 Apr. 2026
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But a loving parent, Sarkis adds, doesn't acquiesce to all of their child's whims.—
Charles Trepany,
USA Today,
28 Apr. 2026
Noun
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This ornamental onion attracts bees and butterflies (and resists deer and rabbits, too).—
Sophia Beams,
Better Homes & Gardens,
6 May 2026
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In rural communities, pollinating bees and hoverflies are responsible for more than 20% of people's intake of key vitamins, and more than 40% of their income, the researchers report Wednesday in Nature.—
Jonathan Lambert,
NPR,
6 May 2026
Noun
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The book, along with the show and 50 artists, really challenges old notions of what textile is.—
Angela Velasquez,
Footwear News,
28 Apr. 2026
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In fulfilling legislative requirements through notions of public interest, the CRTC employs a wide range of regulatory strategies.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
27 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Maggots.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/maggots. Accessed 9 May. 2026.
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