1
as in encroached
to advance gradually beyond the usual or desirable limits
neighborhoods worming into lands reserved for wildlife
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in infiltrated
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 wormed
OpenAI’s ChatGPT has wormed its way into more and more parts of consumers’ lives, from work to their children’s education, and even mental health and romantic relationships.
—
Will McCurdy, PC Magazine, 16 May 2026
The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills alum initially believed that the bug, which eluded detection and caused countless medical issues, wormed its way into her system while filming Bravo's The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip in Morocco in early 2023.
—Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 19 Feb. 2026
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
This story has wormed its way into all levels of British cultural output.
—Will Collins, The Washington Examiner, 19 Sep. 2025
Will McCurdy, PC Magazine, 16 May 2026
The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills alum initially believed that the bug, which eluded detection and caused countless medical issues, wormed its way into her system while filming Bravo's The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip in Morocco in early 2023.
—Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 19 Feb. 2026
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
This story has wormed its way into all levels of British cultural output.
—Will Collins, The Washington Examiner, 19 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wormed
Verb
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Cuba has long defended its decision to shoot down the planes, insisting that Brothers to the Rescue had encroached on the country's sovereignty.—
Joe Walsh,
CBS News,
18 May 2026
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Most of these settlers farmed, but then the cities of Cleveland and Akron encroached from north and south.—
Robert Annis,
Midwest Living,
16 May 2026
Verb
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The five members burst out of a giant pink teddy bear, and even their costumes were festooned with tiny bear faces, like the Grateful Dead’s mascot had suddenly infiltrated the world of girl groups.—
Chris Willman,
Variety,
26 May 2026
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His latest tells the story of three men who infiltrated antisemitic hate groups in the years following World War II.—
Michael Schaub,
Oc Register,
25 May 2026
Verb
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The Waffle House waitress said the building’s management was inattentive to a raft of deeper issues, from sewage backups that crept into her bathtub to mold and a malfunctioning air conditioning unit.—
Ben Paviour,
Sacbee.com,
27 May 2026
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At the other end of the spectrum, there were a number of clubs with lower possession numbers who crept into positions higher up the table.—
Jon Mackenzie,
New York Times,
27 May 2026
Verb
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His first chance will be against the Colorado Rockies’ Tomoyuki Sugano as Freeland was inserted into the starting lineup at second base.—
Liana Handler,
Los Angeles Times,
28 May 2026
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To make the process even easier for novices, the M2 leverages AI to detect the type of materials inserted and automatically adjust the settings for cutting, engraving, or just scoring to make thinner materials easier to flex and fold.—
Andrew Liszewski,
The Verge,
27 May 2026
Verb
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The truck driver crawled to the side of the road and the gunman fled.—
Kristi Miller,
Twin Cities,
26 May 2026
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But Inglis kept losing partners to Punjab fast bowler Marco Jansen (2-33) and leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal (2-25) and Lucknow crawled to 196.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
23 May 2026
Verb
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Oil prices rise, stocks fall over Hormuz deadlock Oil prices rose and stocks slipped on growing signs that the Strait of Hormuz was likely to remain all but shut for the foreseeable future.—
semafor.com,
semafor.com,
29 May 2026
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Vaccination rates have slipped, and large, multistate outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases have inevitably come roaring back.—
Beth Mole,
ArsTechnica,
29 May 2026
Verb
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Evidence of the shooting was visible on a sidewalk just outside the White House complex, where yellow crime scene tape snaked across the pavement and Secret Service officers placed dozens of orange evidence markers on the ground.—
Darlene Superville,
Chicago Tribune,
23 May 2026
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Closing off the week will be Wooyoungmi, Sacai, KidSuper, and Celine, which hasn’t staged a runway show since 2023 and returned last season with an intimate presentation at its headquarters on the Rue Vivienne, with its collection hung on pegs and accessories snaked around the room.—
Hikmat Mohammed,
Vogue,
22 May 2026
Verb
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Her initial thought was that the neighbor’s cat must have snuck into her yard.—
Clara Harter,
Los Angeles Times,
29 May 2026
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The children couldn’t make calls unmonitored, so Matthew snuck into payphones, a hoodie over his head, to pass information back to the fracturing cult, which still contained a few adult loyalists.—
Rob Picheta,
CNN Money,
28 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Wormed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wormed. Accessed 5 Jun. 2026.
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