wormed

past tense of worm
1
as in encroached
to advance gradually beyond the usual or desirable limits neighborhoods worming into lands reserved for wildlife

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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

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3
as in crept
to move slowly with the body close to the ground the cat silently wormed along the ground as it snuck up on the bird

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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 wormed Gemini has wormed its way into virtually every Google product and service, powering email organization in Gmail, document summary in Drive, and much more. ArsTechnica, 11 Aug. 2026 Like parasites, those jukebox musicals wormed their way into Broadway and slowly killed the medium. Jesse Eisenberg, New Yorker, 20 July 2026 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wormed
Verb
  • In what his dad (Ed Harris) calls the decline of humanity, the club is being encroached on by pickleballers clamoring for more courts.
    Christine Ledbetter, Chicago Tribune, 7 Aug. 2026
  • But the somatosensory cortex, the touch cortex, has like encroached upon it.
    Quanta Magazine, Quanta Magazine, 6 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • Prosecutors say Beirich, who previously led the SPLC's hate groups tracking section, was one among several individuals who oversaw payments to individuals who infiltrated white supremacist groups and acted as informants for SPLC.
    Alexander Mallin, ABC News, 12 Aug. 2026
  • By the time smoke is visible, the finest particles, which are of greatest health concern, have often already infiltrated the building.
    Sissi Liu, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • Politics has crept into Florida classrooms under the DeSantis administration, and public school teachers are particularly vulnerable.
    Jessica Meszaros, Miami Herald, 21 Aug. 2026
  • By halftime, baldness crept between the hashmarks, especially on Highmark Stadium’s south end (to the right if sitting behind the Bills bench).
    Tim Graham, New York Times, 16 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • The researchers also found that an item containing copper and gold had been inserted into Zosia’s mouth or nose after death.
    Katie Hunt, CNN Money, 21 Aug. 2026
  • Sprinkle with sliced almonds and bake for 35-40 minutes until the cake is golden and a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean.
    Amy Drew Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 19 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • To compile as comprehensive a list as possible, Szydlowski crawled Instagram and Reddit for photos of people wearing different types of smart glasses.
    Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 21 Aug. 2026
  • As the whole team fought for their lives, Yerman, one of the only Marines with relatively minor wounds, crawled over to Capers.
    Ethan Rocke, Charlotte Observer, 20 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • Houston slipped to 64-64 and saw its two-game lead in the AL West drop to one as Texas beat Washington.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 21 Aug. 2026
  • Deadlines slipped, morale dropped and the team stopped trusting her judgment.
    Terry Oroszi, Forbes.com, 20 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • At the Meijer gas station in Highland, several lines snaked through the parking lot and onto the main road on Wednesday.
    Sara Machi, CBS News, 12 Aug. 2026
  • Here, too, there were echoes of Keegan’s blissful early days, when queues snaked outside the stadium hours before kick-off and every victory felt like alchemy.
    George Caulkin, New York Times, 30 July 2026
Verb
  • Trump reportedly snuck out of the plane and onto a catering truck that whisked him off to a smaller military jet for the return flight.
    Marlow Stern, Variety, 17 Aug. 2026
  • Here are a few of the more subtle hints, references and Easter eggs Disney Imagineers snuck into the showcase of what’s next at Disneyland and Disney World.
    Mackenzie Schmidt, PEOPLE, 15 Aug. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Wormed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wormed. Accessed 24 Aug. 2026.

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