worm

1 to advance gradually beyond the usual or desirable limits settlements worming into lands reserved for the natives Synonyms creep, inch, encroachRelated Words snake, sneak; entrench (also intrench), impinge, infringe, intrude, invade; overpass, overreach, overrun, overshoot, overstep

2 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 infiltrate, slip, sneak, wind, work in, insinuate, wriggleRelated Words creep, edge, wiggle; insert, interpolate, interpose, introduce

3 to move slowly with the body close to the ground the cat silently wormed along the ground as it snuck up on the bird Synonyms belly, creep, grovel, slide, slither, snake, crawl, wriggleRelated Words crouch, squat; edge, inch, nose; skulk, sneak, steal, tiptoe