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
The popular genre is inexpensive to produce and compelling to view, and a new documentary or documentary series always seems to worm its way into the zeitgeist.
—
Brian Welk, IndieWire, 29 Oct. 2024
The plot might seem repetitive, going back and forth between Violet trying to follow the anonymous rules and worming her way out of them to seek help (only to be outsmarted), but the movie’s exciting, stage-like formal flourishes and its disorienting lensing keep things moving smoothly.
—Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 10 Mar. 2025
Chain Reactions Director: Alexandre O. Philippe Featuring: Patton Oswalt, Takashi Miike, Alexandra Heller-Nicholas, Stephen King, Karyn Kusama
United States, 2024
For fifty years, Tobe Hooper’s The Texas Chain Saw Massacre has terrified audiences by worming its way into their subconscious.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 6 Mar. 2025
In recent years, inclusion mandates and training have wormed their way into virtually every facet of American life, including (but certainly not limited to) Hollywood, corporations and academia, just to name a few of the most prominent targets.
—Matt K. Lewis, Twin Cities, 9 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for worm
Brian Welk, IndieWire, 29 Oct. 2024
The plot might seem repetitive, going back and forth between Violet trying to follow the anonymous rules and worming her way out of them to seek help (only to be outsmarted), but the movie’s exciting, stage-like formal flourishes and its disorienting lensing keep things moving smoothly.
—Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 10 Mar. 2025
Chain Reactions Director: Alexandre O. Philippe Featuring: Patton Oswalt, Takashi Miike, Alexandra Heller-Nicholas, Stephen King, Karyn Kusama
United States, 2024
For fifty years, Tobe Hooper’s The Texas Chain Saw Massacre has terrified audiences by worming its way into their subconscious.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 6 Mar. 2025
In recent years, inclusion mandates and training have wormed their way into virtually every facet of American life, including (but certainly not limited to) Hollywood, corporations and academia, just to name a few of the most prominent targets.
—Matt K. Lewis, Twin Cities, 9 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for worm
Recent Examples of Synonyms for worm
Verb
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As the Nazis encroached on Czechoslovakia in 1938, the Löw-Beers fled.—
Eli Wizevich,
Smithsonian Magazine,
14 May 2025
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As human settlements expanded on islands where the auk nested, the bird's habitat was further encroached upon.—
Scott Travers,
Forbes.com,
4 May 2025
Verb
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Monkey Man told of a man who infiltrates a night club in order to exact vengeance on the man who killed his mother years earlier.—
Andreas Wiseman,
Deadline,
10 May 2025
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Under Trump’s direction, Musk’s workers had already infiltrated much of the federal government in a lightning operation designed to overwhelm.—
Michael Wilner,
Los Angeles Times,
29 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Fallen power lines snaked across the road and through the ditch.—
Miceala Morano,
Arkansas Online,
20 May 2025
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In Castelvetro that night, the lines for the bars snaked through the throng of dancers in the main square.—
Simon Willis,
Travel + Leisure,
10 May 2025
Verb
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The device is inserted via the jugular vein and interfaces with the motor cortex.—
Dan Fitzpatrick,
Forbes.com,
15 May 2025
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Those who opt for implants could receive $75 at the time it is inserted, $100 six months after and $125 one year later.—
Nora O’Neill,
Charlotte Observer,
15 May 2025
Verb
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When the window broke, the bear crawled out safely and returned to the woods.—
Shyla Watson,
People.com,
10 May 2025
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Inspectors saw one rat crawling from the top equipment shelf in an unapproved back dry storage area onto the roof, and another rat on an electrical line behind a two-door household freezer/refrigerator in the same dry storage area.—
Veronica Fernandez-Alvarado,
Sacbee.com,
9 May 2025
Verb
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On Tuesday, Leo sneaked into the headquarters of his Augustinian order right off St. Peter’s Square.—
Mitra Taj,
New York Times,
17 May 2025
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The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon host and the singer — a.k.a Abel Tesfaye — snuck to Fordham University, where its graduating class of 2025 was gathered to celebrate.—
Rachel Raposas,
People.com,
16 May 2025
Verb
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However, a new poll shows his approval rating among this demographic may be creeping up again.—
Martha McHardy,
MSNBC Newsweek,
15 May 2025
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Listen to this article A 32-year-old woman got the scare of her life when a stranger crept up behind her and tried to shoot her in the back of the head in a random execution attempt on a Bronx street, video obtained by the Daily News shows.—
Emma Seiwell,
New York Daily News,
14 May 2025
Verb
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The team has just one win during the past seven games, has given up 20 goals during that spell and slipped to sixth place in the Eastern Conference heading into a road game Saturday against the first-place Philadelphia Union.—
Michelle Kaufman,
Miami Herald,
21 May 2025
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Shares of Lockheed have slipped nearly 3% so far in 2025.—
Brian Evans,
CNBC,
21 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Worm.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/worm. Accessed 24 May. 2025.
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