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
The parasitic bug resembling a housefly lays its eggs inside living animals like livestock, and the maggots hatched from those eggs burrow into their hosts and eat them alive.
—
Joe Hernandez, NPR, 29 May 2026
The inspector found a bottle with moldy syrup, mold on the ceiling of the ice machine, maggots under one of the sinks and fruit flies under the cabinet in the coffee area.
—Harriet Ramos, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 29 May 2026
The flea larvae, which look like tiny maggots, worm their way into the carpet or mattress, feeding on the flea dirt that their parents left behind, says Benson.
—Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 28 May 2026
This led me to the small corner of medicine where maggots were being used as a last resort for wound care when other options had failed.
—Kayla Hayempour, NBC news, 18 May 2026
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
Joe Hernandez, NPR, 29 May 2026
The inspector found a bottle with moldy syrup, mold on the ceiling of the ice machine, maggots under one of the sinks and fruit flies under the cabinet in the coffee area.
—Harriet Ramos, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 29 May 2026
The flea larvae, which look like tiny maggots, worm their way into the carpet or mattress, feeding on the flea dirt that their parents left behind, says Benson.
—Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 28 May 2026
This led me to the small corner of medicine where maggots were being used as a last resort for wound care when other options had failed.
—Kayla Hayempour, NBC news, 18 May 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for maggots
Noun
-
In normal times, money really can provide some buffer against the whims of the world.—
Hannah Seligson,
Vanity Fair,
23 May 2026
-
The decor offers a colorful contrast to the austere exterior, allowing the house to honor the neighborhood while indulging the whims of its occupants.—
Fred Albert,
Forbes.com,
23 May 2026
Noun
-
Butterflies, birds, and bees are all pollinators that refuel in our gardens, playing an important role in our ecosystem by fertilizing fruits and flowers.—
Nishaa Sharma,
The Spruce,
28 May 2026
-
The students earned spots at the national competition after advancing through regional spelling bees across the country.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
28 May 2026
Noun
-
The heavy hand of British executions, offensive to Indigenous notions of reparative justice, also provoked many.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
26 May 2026
-
Both are interested, in different ways, in notions of artifice and authenticity.—
Ellen Cushing,
The Atlantic,
25 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Maggots.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/maggots. Accessed 1 Jun. 2026.
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