worming

verb

present participle of worm
1
as in encroaching
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 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

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 After a series of personal setbacks, Ingrid moves to Los Angeles to be closer to Taylor, masterminding their meeting and worming her way into her inner circle. — Brianna Zigler, Entertainment Weekly, 15 July 2026 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
  1. encroaching
  2. sneaking
  3. creeping
  4. infiltrating
  5. crawling
  6. inserting
  7. snaking
  8. slipping
Verb
  • The law is designed to give state and local authorities permission to bring down drones encroaching on airports and major venues.
    — Jason Gewirtz, CNBC, 27 Sep. 2026
  • However, the true antagonist of Forgotten Island is encroaching adulthood.
    — Parents, Parents, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of encroaching
Verb
  • Imagine sneaking into a math library and combing through every mathematical text ever written.
    — Lyndie Chiou, Scientific American, 22 Sep. 2026
  • The Chiefs placed Royals at tight end on the line, sneaking him across the back of the end zone on a drag route.
    — Sam McDowell, Kansas City Star, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of sneaking
Verb
  • But there was something else that was creeping into his head.
    — Andy Martinez, Chicago Tribune, 25 Sep. 2026
  • This is why the sameness creeping into corporate communications right now bothers me more than the question of whether AI can write a good press release.
    — Amanda Simonian, Forbes.com, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of creeping
Verb
  • The company discovered in July that rogue AI agents had schemed in secret to break out of the virtual sandbox created to contain them, infiltrating the open internet and hacking a private company.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 11 Sep. 2026
  • Valdes was a Cuban intelligence asset tasked with infiltrating Cuban exile organizations since at least the 1990s, according to ICE.
    — Nora Gámez Torres, Miami Herald, 5 Sep. 2026
Definition of infiltrating
Verb
  • Introduced crawling through the Trask family’s field, her black blood spattering their rich soil like a human pesticide, Cathy personifies the series’ potent blend of dread and beauty.
    — Ben Travers, IndieWire, 1 Oct. 2026
  • But centering a nearly dead Cathy Ames (Florence Pugh) is Kazan’s entire intention with this project, and snagging us with the image of her bloody body crawling toward the Trasks’ farmhouse is a tip of the hand toward where East of Eden is going.
    — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of crawling
Verb
  • Fashion is increasingly appealing to consumers — and investors — by very consciously inserting itself into the cultural conversation.
    — Evan Clark, Footwear News, 14 Sep. 2026
  • The coaching staff demonstrated this by immediately inserting Lemon into the first-team offense upon his return and playing him throughout the first half of the preseason finale against the Cincinnati Bengals.
    — Brooks Kubena, New York Times, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of inserting
Verb
  • This city is already a freaky liminal space full of snaking pathways that are almost incomprehensible.
    — Jordan Minor, PC Magazine, 18 Sep. 2026
  • And the talk drew far and away the longest lines of the festival, snaking around four city blocks an hour before showtime.
    — Marlow Stern, Variety, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of snaking
Verb
  • Standard gas pressure spreads out across the rock formations, homogenizing subterranean forces and actually decreasing the risk of the fault slipping over time.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 29 Sep. 2026
  • Slowly, the giant claw, still clutching the sparrow, sank into the river, the tips of its pincers slipping beneath the surface with a plop.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of slipping

Browse Nearby Words

wormholes
worming
worms
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Cite this Entry

“Worming.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/worming. Accessed 3 Oct. 2026.

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