worms

present tense third-person singular of worm
1
as in encroaches
to advance gradually beyond the usual or desirable limits neighborhoods worming into lands reserved for wildlife

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
2
as in infiltrates
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 snakes
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

Recent Examples of Synonyms for worms
Verb
  • The rise of fascism encroaches on her like a disease, culminating in a personal invitation from Mussolini himself, but we’re dealt countless scenes of Eleonora’s psychosis before we’re granted a contextual explanation of what feeds it.
    Blake Simons, IndieWire, 3 Sep. 2025
  • However, if someone encroaches on another traveler's space, the airline may reassign them to a different seat or ask them to take a later flight.
    Emma Marsden, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • Wednesday then infiltrates Isaac and Francoise’s operation.
    Selome Hailu, Variety, 4 Sep. 2025
  • As Rob rises as the leader of a band of rebel outlaws, Marian infiltrates the power at court, as both work together to thwart royal corruption and bring peace to the land.
    Denise Petski, Deadline, 28 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • Originating in the Tibetan Plateau, the Nujiang River snakes its way through southern China andeventually flows into Myanmar.
    Lauren Liebhaber September 2, Miami Herald, 2 Sep. 2025
  • The route then snakes through the landscape near Ndabaka Gate in the national park; expect gravel roads and gently paved tarmac, as well as zebras, giraffes, and buffalo.
    Chloe Arrojado, AFAR Media, 21 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • However, on opening night, the music and revelry are cut short when evil sneaks through the door.
    Charlotte Walsh, People.com, 1 Sep. 2025
  • The set lives inside the top 40 on three sales rankings and narrowly sneaks back onto the downloads roster in a much lower position.
    Hugh McIntyre, Forbes.com, 28 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • In the footage, the dog hilariously crawls under the blanket, which had slipped down the side of his crate, and ends up pulling it completely off.
    Lydia Patrick, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Sep. 2025
  • Dead Bug Ab-cross crawls support overall ab strength.
    Health Editorial Team, Health, 28 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • In general, the executive order inserts a layer of political control over both the announcement of new funding opportunities and the approval of individual grants.
    John Timmer, ArsTechnica, 7 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • Unlike a broken leg or a sudden illness, hearing loss often creeps in quietly.
    Joseph Coughlin, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2025
  • Bias also creeps into the data used to train these algorithms, for example when the composition of teams that guide the development of such facial recognition software lack diversity.
    Robert Pearlman, ArsTechnica, 6 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • In the film above, watch how Johnson draws help on a drive and then slips a pocket pass to a rolling big or drops it off to a player in the dunker spot.
    Joel Rush, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2025
  • The cosmos is putting a microscope on the situation, so nothing slips through the cracks!
    Valerie Mesa, People.com, 2 Sep. 2025
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.

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Worms.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/worms. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on worms

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!