1
as in encroached
to advance gradually beyond the usual or desirable limits
neighborhoods worming into lands reserved for wildlife
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
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
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
-
Kenya has experienced incidents of land grabbing in the past, and environmentalists have often spoken out when parks and other green spaces are encroached upon.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
8 June 2026
-
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
Verb
-
The moment the cannula infiltrated, time split in two.—
Nisha Narayanan,
STAT,
5 June 2026
-
Called Debug, the project targets Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, which are native to Africa but have infiltrated nearly half of California’s counties since first being detected in the state in 2013.—
Lila Seidman,
Los Angeles Times,
4 June 2026
Verb
-
My oldest, 9, had crept downstairs from her bed to catch some of the game.—
Tony Maglio,
HollywoodReporter,
11 June 2026
-
Worry crept in after midnight for Vincent Tijerina.—
Tanya Babbar,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
10 June 2026
Verb
-
The league is finally recovering from a turbulent decade during which television ratings dropped by nearly 48% as many of its most prominent players, coaches and executives increasingly inserted themselves into partisan political debates.—
Bobby Burack OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
12 June 2026
-
Pinney’s fantasies and visual metaphors are sometimes more poignant in concept than in execution, and a theme of Ray’s crude racist impulses is baldly inserted but left undeveloped.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
12 June 2026
Verb
-
When doctors smothered it in ointment, about 45 larvae crawled out.—
Beth Mole,
ArsTechnica,
9 June 2026
-
He was buried alive on a construction site and then poisoned by a venomous rattlesnake that crawled into his coffin and attacked him.—
Monica Mercuri,
Forbes.com,
31 May 2026
Verb
-
The limited or anthology series field slipped to 31 from 33.—
Michael Schneider,
Variety,
12 June 2026
-
By Emma Court, Bloomberg Juicy tomatoes are a summer staple often slipped into burgers or sliced atop a salad.—
Bloomberg,
Mercury News,
12 June 2026
Verb
-
At the beginning of his tenure as the club’s resident DJ, the crowds were sparse, but as word of his sweaty, ecstatic sets quickly spread around Chicago, admission exploded, and lines to get in snaked around the block.—
Dash Lewis,
Pitchfork,
7 June 2026
-
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
Verb
-
Lee nearly snuck a single into right field in the bottom of the fourth, but second baseman Nico Hoerner made a diving stop of Lee’s grounder to rob him of a hit.—
Justice delos Santos,
Mercury News,
13 June 2026
-
Shortly afterward, Lee Jae-sung sneaked behind the defense and had the ball on his foot near the goal but couldn't score.—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
12 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Wormed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wormed. Accessed 15 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
