1
2
as in to infiltrate
to introduce in a gradual, secret, or clever way
over a period of several years, the undercover agent was able to worm his way into the drug kingpin's confidence
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of worm
Popping in and out of the party's campaign headquarters with abandon (Secret Service didn't begin to protect the president until 1901), Guiteau tries to worm his way into Garfield's circle and somehow profit.
—
Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 6 Nov. 2025
Any deal would need to worm its way through the competition regulator.
—Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 6 Nov. 2025
We as a community contain (often brain-wormed) multitudes, as evidenced by this year’s plethora gay Halloween costumes.
—Abby Monteil, Them., 31 Oct. 2025
After a scramble from Baltimore’s corner kick, Kerr’s header at the back post wormed through a thicket of defenders, and Cuthbert had the final touch.
—Cerys Jones, New York Times, 16 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for worm
Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 6 Nov. 2025
Any deal would need to worm its way through the competition regulator.
—Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 6 Nov. 2025
We as a community contain (often brain-wormed) multitudes, as evidenced by this year’s plethora gay Halloween costumes.
—Abby Monteil, Them., 31 Oct. 2025
After a scramble from Baltimore’s corner kick, Kerr’s header at the back post wormed through a thicket of defenders, and Cuthbert had the final touch.
—Cerys Jones, New York Times, 16 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for worm
Recent Examples of Synonyms for worm
Verb
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Nobody wants to deal with our old devil, even if the new one comes with an encroaching open threat actively bubbling in the Caribbean and Latin America at large.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Jan. 2026
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Gamers aren’t exactly optimistic about AI encroaching on the experience, especially amid deep confusion over how exactly developers and studios are looking to leverage the tech.—
Victor Tangermann,
Futurism,
8 Jan. 2026
Verb
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On her show the evening of January 6, the Fox News host Laura Ingraham wondered aloud whether antifa sympathizers had infiltrated the crowd.—
Jamie Thompson,
The Atlantic,
6 Jan. 2026
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Sculptured shoulders, exaggerated silhouettes, color blocking, chunky belts and hearty gold hardware are some of the ways the trend could infiltrate the denim category.—
Angela Velasquez,
Sourcing Journal,
5 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Titled a serpentine, their pavilion is inspired by the crinkle crankle wall, a snaking English architecture feature that harkens back to the sinusoidal walls of Ancient Egypt.—
News Desk,
Artforum,
21 Jan. 2026
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Make the Road Action and New York Communities for Change backed Reynoso over rival Assemblywoman Claire Valdez in the battle for the deep-blue district that snakes through parts of northern Brooklyn and western Queens.—
Chris Sommerfeldt,
New York Daily News,
13 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The Titans, who were coming off single-digit losses to UC Davis and UC Riverside on the road last week, went with a different starting lineup, inserting Davis White in at guard in place of fellow freshman Bryce Cofield.—
Dan Arritt,
Oc Register,
23 Jan. 2026
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Second, supply chain attacks target AI development environments to insert backdoors affecting downstream deployments.—
Güney Yıldız,
Forbes.com,
22 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Trying to make as little noise as possible, Kajumba would crawl into bed, crowded with hot limbs, and attempt to sleep.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
22 Jan. 2026
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Researchers found that increasing the finger count from three to five improved the hand’s crawling efficiency, but adding more beyond that resulted in diminishing returns.—
Mack DeGeurin,
Popular Science,
22 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Some of my earliest memories are sneaking out of bed to sit at the top of the stairs, desperate to catch a glimpse of the gold and the glamour.—
Michael Schneider,
Variety,
8 Jan. 2026
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If the cover art suggests ’70s private-press albums have snuck into Garm’s rotation, the music seems to confirm it.—
Daniel Bromfield,
Pitchfork,
8 Jan. 2026
Verb
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And despite the invitation count, family demands can creep in for weddings.—
Nicole Fallert,
USA Today,
20 Jan. 2026
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Its ribbed hem and cuffs give it that bomber structure, but also help seal the jacket to prevent drafts from creeping in.—
Jasmine Gomez,
Travel + Leisure,
19 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Aftershocks are typically minor adjustments along the portion of a fault that slipped at the time of the initial earthquake.—
William B. Davis,
New York Times,
20 Jan. 2026
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Toast stock has slipped 12% over the past 12 months, opening the stock up to an attractive buying opportunity, Frisch said.—
Lisa Kailai Han,
CNBC,
20 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Worm.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/worm. Accessed 25 Jan. 2026.
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