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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Recent Examples of maggots
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
Since some Indigenous tribes from the Arctic and subarctic are known to eat maggots from putrefied meat, the researchers considered maggots a potential factor driving those isotope spikes.
—Jay Kakade
december 31, New Atlas, 31 Dec. 2025
Even better, marigolds repel cabbage maggots and nematodes2 and their flowers entice predatory insects to garden beds to keep pests in line.
—Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 18 Dec. 2025
Medflies can ruin more than 250 kinds of produce by infecting them with maggots.
—John Metcalfe, Mercury News, 7 Nov. 2025
His fur was singed and bitten, his arm broken, and his mouth crawling with maggots.
—Alice Gibbs, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Nov. 2025
The inspector noticed slimy matter and black grime inside the ice machine, and cockroaches, maggots and ants on the floor.
—Harriet Ramos, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 1 Nov. 2025
Within an hour, those flies and other insects will lay eggs on the body, and the larvae − maggots, for the full horror-movie scenario − will then start to feed on that body.
—Phaedra Trethan, USA Today, 29 Oct. 2025
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
Since some Indigenous tribes from the Arctic and subarctic are known to eat maggots from putrefied meat, the researchers considered maggots a potential factor driving those isotope spikes.
—Jay Kakade
december 31, New Atlas, 31 Dec. 2025
Even better, marigolds repel cabbage maggots and nematodes2 and their flowers entice predatory insects to garden beds to keep pests in line.
—Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 18 Dec. 2025
Medflies can ruin more than 250 kinds of produce by infecting them with maggots.
—John Metcalfe, Mercury News, 7 Nov. 2025
His fur was singed and bitten, his arm broken, and his mouth crawling with maggots.
—Alice Gibbs, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Nov. 2025
The inspector noticed slimy matter and black grime inside the ice machine, and cockroaches, maggots and ants on the floor.
—Harriet Ramos, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 1 Nov. 2025
Within an hour, those flies and other insects will lay eggs on the body, and the larvae − maggots, for the full horror-movie scenario − will then start to feed on that body.
—Phaedra Trethan, USA Today, 29 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for maggots
Noun
-
Florida law should not be conformed to Israel’s whims on that matter.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
26 Jan. 2026
-
But it may also be remembered as the moment where Europe broke away from the United States, exasperated by a world run solely by hard American power at the whims of an ever imperial presidency.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
22 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The idea closely mirrors how bees communicate through movement.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
28 Jan. 2026
-
Blazing star also attracts lots of pollinators, like butterflies, bees, and hummingbirds, providing a nectar source for them in the summer, while its seedheads provide food for birds in the winter.—
Alexandra Kelly,
Martha Stewart,
27 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
But as the healer grows graver, invoking notions of lust, desire, and indecency, the boys undergo a kind of exorcism.—
Natalia Winkelman,
IndieWire,
24 Jan. 2026
-
Opponents invoke abstract notions of sovereignty while ignoring practical realities.—
Paul McCarthy,
Boston Herald,
23 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Maggots.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/maggots. Accessed 30 Jan. 2026.
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