Thesaurus results for WORMING

worming

verb

present participle of worm

as in encroaching

to advance gradually beyond the usual or desirable limits neighborhoods worming into lands reserved for wildlife

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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

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

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 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

Recent Examples of Synonyms for worming

Verb

Season 3 finds Saldaña’s Joe with her work encroaching further on her personal life.

— Brianna Zigler, Entertainment Weekly, 7 July 2026
He’s flanked by his wife, Princess Deidamia, who looks fearfully up at her husband’s encroaching enemies.

— News Desk, Artforum, 6 July 2026

Definition of encroaching

Verb

Just a few weeks into the war, one of the Persian Gulf’s top oil producers quietly began sneaking its crude out of the Strait of Hormuz.

— Weilun Soon, Fortune, 5 July 2026
But neither those measures nor Friday’s sizzling temperatures stopped fans from gathering in hopes of sneaking a peak at their longtime idol and sending Swift their well wishes.

— Karen Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 3 July 2026

Definition of sneaking

Verb

Throw it on before bed for a creeping loss of temporal traction and wild dreams.

— Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 8 July 2026
How hot these temperatures will actually feel depends on the humidity for each day, where predictions show heat indexes creeping 5-10 degrees above base temperatures.

— Nico Berlin, Oklahoman, 7 July 2026

Definition of creeping

Verb

Working with a cartel desperate to control London’s drug market, Duke begins a high-risk game of infiltrating Kingsley’s empire to destroy it from within and smoke out his enemy.

— Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 7 July 2026
Is there a level of insanity, vitriol and stupidity that is infiltrating almost every aspect of our modern society, regardless of your political or religious views?

— Joe Kinsey OutKick, FOXNews.com, 4 July 2026

Definition of infiltrating

Verb

Fast-forward to the ’90s, and aftermarket tuners were routinely cracking open an engine’s computer, removing the appropriate memory chip, inserting it into a reader, and writing lines of code to a new chip.

— Peter Nelson, ArsTechnica, 10 July 2026
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier has used his office to intervene on behalf of donors since taking office last year, inserting the state’s lawyers in civil disputes to help developers and car dealers.

— Lawrence Mower, Miami Herald, 7 July 2026

Definition of inserting

Verb

Singer-songwriter and guitarist Nick DiSalvo’s plaintive vocals and snaking riffs can gently suggest thoughtful indie rock or tense up to show off more doom-adjacent roots.

— Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 8 July 2026
There are few travel moments more deflating than racing through security, grabbing overpriced snacks, and hustling to your gate—only to find your flight has been canceled and the line to speak with an agent is already snaking around the concourse.

— Lauren Dana Ellman, Travel + Leisure, 4 July 2026

Definition of snaking

Verb

Cabrera allowed four runs on four hits and two walks in 4⅓ innings and the Padres piled on against Arizona’s bullpen in slipping ahead of the Diamondbacks in the wild-card race.

— Jeff Sanders, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 July 2026
But instead of slipping into fixer mode, reflect on what the situation is exposing to you about an emotional pattern.

— Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 8 July 2026

Definition of slipping

Browse Nearby Words

wormholes

worming

worms

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Style

“Worming.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/worming. Accessed 14 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of worming

verb

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