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
To my great embarrassment, the Velvet Sundown’s songs even managed to worm their way into my brain.
—
Ian Bogost, The Atlantic, 4 July 2025
The flea larvae, which look like tiny maggots, worm their way into the carpet or mattress, feeding on the flea dirt that their parents left behind, says Benson.
—Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 31 Mar. 2025
Here, somehow the Dama survives being burned to death and manages to worm her way back into Hershel’s life.
—Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 22 June 2025
Despite the gloomy overtones, Loznitsa’s powerful movie asserts that goodness hides within the confines of institutional control, worming its way through the boundaries of bureaucratic red tape in an effort to do some good.
—Eric Kohn, HollywoodReporter, 30 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for worm
Ian Bogost, The Atlantic, 4 July 2025
The flea larvae, which look like tiny maggots, worm their way into the carpet or mattress, feeding on the flea dirt that their parents left behind, says Benson.
—Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 31 Mar. 2025
Here, somehow the Dama survives being burned to death and manages to worm her way back into Hershel’s life.
—Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 22 June 2025
Despite the gloomy overtones, Loznitsa’s powerful movie asserts that goodness hides within the confines of institutional control, worming its way through the boundaries of bureaucratic red tape in an effort to do some good.
—Eric Kohn, HollywoodReporter, 30 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for worm
Recent Examples of Synonyms for worm
Verb
-
China accused those vessels of entering the waters illegally or encroaching on its territory.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
23 July 2025
-
Perhaps never has another film captured the simultaneous horror and hilarity of modern American living than this singular masterpiece, which remains as galvanizing and astute—and irresolvable—as ever, a rollicking kaleidoscope that gradually becomes a depiction of encroaching political violence.—
Samantha Bergeson,
IndieWire,
18 July 2025
Verb
-
Of course, the increasingly partisan, combative, and at times, chaotic atmosphere had infiltrated the modern Congress before Johnson or his Senate counterpart, Majority Leader John Thune, took the gavel.—
Savannah Kuchar,
USA Today,
3 Aug. 2025
-
Territorial fans who didn’t want commercial pop audiences infiltrating their scene in the first place are never too thrilled about new listeners or the pop-leaning pivots from their rock gods.—
Larisha Paul,
Rolling Stone,
3 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Statistics from last May show that the number of visitors at the Vatican can reach 25,000 per day with massive ticket lines often snaking around the walls.—
Cecilia Rodriguez,
Forbes.com,
31 July 2025
-
During an ablation, a cardiac electrophysiologist snakes a catheter through a vein or artery, usually in the groin or the wrist, to get to the heart.—
Nicole Villalpando,
Austin American Statesman,
30 July 2025
Verb
-
Cut a pocket into each chicken breast by inserting the tip of a chef’s knife in the thickest part of the breast and cutting a horizontal slit 3/4 of the way through the breast.—
Ann Taylor Pittman,
Southern Living,
13 July 2025
-
Bake 45 to 50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.—
Sarah Martens,
Better Homes & Gardens,
13 July 2025
Verb
-
Ever since Google emerged as the home page of the Web in the early 2000s, media outlets operated under the assumption that Google would reliably crawl their sites and send audience their way.—
IEEE Spectrum,
IEEE Spectrum,
31 July 2025
-
Silver floral detailing crawled along the right hip of the gown and the left side of Lohan’s midsection.—
Kaleigh Werner,
Footwear News,
31 July 2025
Verb
-
Long romanticized by cinema (hello, Jack Sparrow), pirate imagery is sneaking into fashion shows, reinterpreted with with luxurious materials, high shafts, relaxed structure, and lots of buckles.—
María Munsuri,
Glamour,
27 July 2025
-
Some folks get fancy and use electric kettles for pastas, and others sneak illicit hot plates into their dorms.—
Katherine Polcari,
Southern Living,
27 July 2025
Verb
-
So, how long will that last, especially with artificial intelligence seemingly creeping into every aspect of life?—
Andrew Montequin,
jsonline.com,
29 July 2025
-
Across the Volunteer State, temperatures are expected to creep down as July ends and August begins.—
Joyce Orlando,
The Tennessean,
29 July 2025
Verb
-
Asian stocks closed lower, European markets opened down, and S&P 500 futures slipped.—
Prashant Rao,
semafor.com,
1 Aug. 2025
-
Over the course of the operation, two F/A-18E planes, valued at around $60 million apiece, accidentally slipped off aircraft carriers and sank into the Red Sea.—
Cybele Mayes-Osterman,
USA Today,
1 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Worm.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/worm. Accessed 9 Aug. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share