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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of maggots
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
Victims can develop large open wounds covered in maggots.
—Bloomberg Wire, Dallas Morning News, 7 Feb. 2026
The veteran’s body was discovered in the Penrose building, covered in maggots.
—Jesse Bedayn, Denver Post, 5 Feb. 2026
That may require surgery if the maggots are deeply embedded.
—Alix Martichoux, The Hill, 21 Jan. 2026
Eventually, the Afflecks gave in when maggots started appearing in the apartment.
—Angela Andaloro, PEOPLE, 13 Jan. 2026
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
Victims can develop large open wounds covered in maggots.
—Bloomberg Wire, Dallas Morning News, 7 Feb. 2026
The veteran’s body was discovered in the Penrose building, covered in maggots.
—Jesse Bedayn, Denver Post, 5 Feb. 2026
That may require surgery if the maggots are deeply embedded.
—Alix Martichoux, The Hill, 21 Jan. 2026
Eventually, the Afflecks gave in when maggots started appearing in the apartment.
—Angela Andaloro, PEOPLE, 13 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for maggots
Noun
-
But some classics have been with us all along, their popularity ebbing and flowing with the whims of restaurant culture.—
Jerry & Krista Slater,
AJC.com,
12 Apr. 2026
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The online community of people who do this kind of analysis are used to their information environment constantly shifting according to the whims of companies and algorithms, Godin said.—
Geoff Brumfiel,
NPR,
10 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Yarrow is both visually appealing and a magnet for beneficial pollinators such as bees and butterflies.—
SJ McShane,
Martha Stewart,
16 Apr. 2026
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The sale will feature native and non-native flowering plants that attract bees and other pollinators.—
Julie Gallant,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
15 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Breakaway notions, such as ‘Calexit,’ are fanciful, but the discontent driving them is real.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
8 Apr. 2026
-
Advice or even just notions—only check email after noon; never do 10 reps of crunches—solidify into absolutism or vanish.—
Ian Bogost,
The Atlantic,
31 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Maggots.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/maggots. Accessed 19 Apr. 2026.
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