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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of worm
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
While all this is going on, Chloe begins secretly hanging out and hooking up with Tyler's friend Ryan (West Mulholland), a sinister jock who worms his way into her good graces as a shoulder to cry on.
—Megan McCluskey, TIME, 24 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for worm
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
While all this is going on, Chloe begins secretly hanging out and hooking up with Tyler's friend Ryan (West Mulholland), a sinister jock who worms his way into her good graces as a shoulder to cry on.
—Megan McCluskey, TIME, 24 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for worm
Recent Examples of Synonyms for worm
Verb
-
Rising sea levels not only push back its shorelines, but the encroaching salt water also erodes the country’s limited farmland.—
Kathleen Magramo,
CNN Money,
17 Apr. 2025
-
Democrats have repeatedly warned against Republican budget proposals encroaching on Medicaid.—
Arick Wierson,
MSNBC Newsweek,
16 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
That group allegedly infiltrated 64 U.S. companies, laundering more than $866,000 through just ten of them.—
Alonzo Martinez,
Forbes.com,
25 Apr. 2025
-
The disease itself is not deadly, but left untreated, the antibodies can infiltrate different parts of the body like the pancreas, lung or liver.—
David Oliver,
USA Today,
23 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
In New York, marchers snaked their way past Trump Tower Saturday.—
Jasmine Baehr,
FOXNews.com,
19 Apr. 2025
-
New York declined to accept the first two hammers, cutting the team’s lead to a single point, before Horschel’s long putt snaked into the hole at the 14th to give Atlanta a dramatic lead.—
George Ramsay,
CNN Money,
26 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
Tightness in your gastrocnemius (calf) muscle, which inserts into the Achilles tendon, can contribute to this strain.—
Tim Petrie, DPT,
Verywell Health,
21 Apr. 2025
-
Posey was a breakout star in the latter stretch of the season and was eventually inserted into the starting lineup.—
Steven Johnson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
21 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
Freya crawled on top of her, interrupting the seizure.—
Brittney Melton,
NPR,
27 Apr. 2025
-
Continue to update your site with new, high-quality blogs, and search engines will more frequently crawl your site.—
Tonia Ryan,
Forbes.com,
25 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
Brentford are sneaking up on the rails, a further two points adrift of Hurzeler’s side.—
Andy Naylor,
New York Times,
23 Apr. 2025
-
Two assailants sneaked into a camp of workers building the Z-Morh tunnel (an important highway project) and opened fire at the laborers and engineers.—
Ross Rosenfeld,
MSNBC Newsweek,
23 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
His eyes dart to her as his thick mustache creeps up to reveal a half smile.—
Rebecca Angel Baer,
Southern Living,
23 Apr. 2025
-
McGee, Sam, Knight, and Torres creep onto the ship and split into teams of two.—
Sara Netzley,
EW.com,
22 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
The only ranking where the track slips is the Official Singles Sales chart.—
Hugh McIntyre,
Forbes.com,
25 Apr. 2025
-
The stick itself also glides onto the skin very easily without slipping or getting caught in drier or harder-to-reach areas of the face.—
Danielle Jackson,
Glamour,
25 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Worm.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/worm. Accessed 4 May. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share