1
as in encroaching
to advance gradually beyond the usual or desirable limits
neighborhoods worming into lands reserved for wildlife
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in sneaking
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
3
as in creeping
to move slowly with the body close to the ground
the cat silently wormed along the ground as it snuck up on the bird
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of worming
The best success comes using it in jungle-thick cover, worming a minnow down between uncooperative branches.
—
John Phillips, Outdoor Life, 14 May 2026
In terms of the complex set design — which looks like a facsimile of the same passage over and over but with subtle differences worming their way in — Kawamura and his team built two identical corridors for cinematographer Keisuke Imamura to follow the actors through, third- and first-person-style.
—Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 15 Apr. 2026
Clara ends up moving to the small town and worming her way into everyone’s hearts.
—Literary Hub, 12 Dec. 2025
Traitors is worming its way in there.
—Mckinley Franklin, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2019
John Phillips, Outdoor Life, 14 May 2026
In terms of the complex set design — which looks like a facsimile of the same passage over and over but with subtle differences worming their way in — Kawamura and his team built two identical corridors for cinematographer Keisuke Imamura to follow the actors through, third- and first-person-style.
—Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 15 Apr. 2026
Clara ends up moving to the small town and worming her way into everyone’s hearts.
—Literary Hub, 12 Dec. 2025
Traitors is worming its way in there.
—Mckinley Franklin, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for worming
Verb
-
Jurado noted that tongues of salt water are already encroaching into some of the freshwater areas of South Florida.—
Bill Kearney,
Sun Sentinel,
23 May 2026
-
But Google’s Gemini is now encroaching into emails and calendars, photos and file storage.—
Zak Doffman,
Forbes.com,
23 May 2026
Verb
-
Autonomous task forces of drones could be assigned to defend against specific threats — Russian subs sneaking into the Atlantic Ocean, say, or a possible amphibious landing on Taiwan.—
Editorial,
Boston Herald,
30 May 2026
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As for oats, consider sneaking in some extra protein to round out their nutritional profile.—
Julia Ries Wexler,
Health,
28 May 2026
Verb
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Chartreuse creeping Jenny adds even more contrast.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
1 June 2026
-
Yes, the guys, especially the dentist (ick) and the icky bride-shopping commanders are creeping and disturbing.—
Rachel Elspeth Gross,
Forbes.com,
27 May 2026
Verb
-
There is no infiltrating this environment.—
Matthew Fairburn,
New York Times,
11 May 2026
-
Knicks fans even went as far as infiltrating local news broadcasts in celebration.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
11 May 2026
Verb
-
The adjustable cords along the bottom cuffs even keep bugs from crawling up your calves.—
Katie Jackson,
Travel + Leisure,
24 May 2026
-
New York has an opportunity this week to make Toronto’s chances of crawling back into the division race seem daunting.—
Chris Kirschner,
New York Times,
19 May 2026
Verb
-
But Probst has made a gradual transition from hosting the show to shaping the show in his idealized image to, this season, inserting himself into the show and making it all about him.—
Daniel Fienberg,
HollywoodReporter,
28 May 2026
-
The Mets may look to swap the roles of Peterson and left-hander Sean Manaea, putting Peterson in the bullpen and inserting Manaea into the rotation.—
Abbey Mastracco,
New York Daily News,
27 May 2026
Verb
-
However, unlike most chunky portable power stations that end up dumped somewhere on the kitchen floor with cables snaking across the room, the FridgePower has a much slimmer design and is designed exactly with your refrigerator’s placement in mind.—
Paul Lamkin,
Forbes.com,
26 May 2026
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The rolling landscape, nestled between a nature preserve and a cattle ranch, had silvery groves of ancient olive trees, a meandering creek, and a network of antique aqueducts snaking through the fields.—
Ingrid Abramovitch,
Architectural Digest,
22 May 2026
Verb
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There is no coming back, and these Giants look plenty capable of slipping, stumbling or falling that low.—
Dieter Kurtenbach,
Mercury News,
27 May 2026
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Other sections take the hiker over loose sand and gravel, which can cause lots of slipping and sliding.—
John Meyer,
Denver Post,
26 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Worming.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/worming. Accessed 3 Jun. 2026.
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