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
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of worms
MomTok got Taylor on the plane and off to star in The Bachelorette, but not before Dakota worms his way in one last time.
—
Joe Reid, Vulture, 13 Mar. 2026
Guiteau eventually worms his way into an audience, ostensibly seeking an ambassadorship for his dubious contributions to the campaign but, in reality, requesting a path to greatness.
—Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 11 Nov. 2025
Joe Reid, Vulture, 13 Mar. 2026
Guiteau eventually worms his way into an audience, ostensibly seeking an ambassadorship for his dubious contributions to the campaign but, in reality, requesting a path to greatness.
—Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 11 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for worms
Verb
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Meta, Anthropic and Apple all now use TPUs, as Google increasingly encroaches on a market cornered by Nvidia's graphics processing units.—
Katie Tarasov,
CNBC,
20 Apr. 2026
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As the Chinese men shoot the breeze and play cards, a mob of armed white miners gathers over the hill and encroaches on the unsuspecting outsiders.—
Guy Lodge,
Variety,
26 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The film centers on a wealthy family whose polished exterior begins to crack when an ancient centipede spirit infiltrates their bloodline.—
Patrick Brzeski,
HollywoodReporter,
1 Apr. 2026
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When investigative journalist infiltrates the group, the noose around the sect begins to tighten.—
Marta Balaga,
Variety,
20 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Another car snakes down the road.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
14 Apr. 2026
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Londoners won’t queue for just anything, but the coffee and pastries at Jolene are well worth joining the line that often snakes around the corner.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
11 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Ortiz sneaks field recordings and samples into these songs, too—each adding texture to the universe of her songs and evoking the wider world that exists just outside the frame of her narration.—
Marissa Lorusso,
Pitchfork,
24 Mar. 2026
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But some sunlight still sneaks through Earth’s atmosphere, bends around the planet and lands on the moon.—
Tiffany Acosta,
AZCentral.com,
3 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Think about how often your toddler crawls near the dog bed or your kids toss pet toys around the living room.—
Lauren Jarvis-Gibson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
9 Apr. 2026
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In the book, Grace drags Rocky back to his part of the ship, exposing himself to the Eridian environment; in the film, Rocky crawls back while Grace is unconscious.—
Matthew Razak,
Space.com,
23 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Many streaming hubs fill each commercial break with an assortment of spots that appear due to programmatic buying that inserts ads based on algorithms tied to demographics and geography.—
Brian Steinberg,
Variety,
16 Apr. 2026
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Ives inserts hints of Ludwig van Beethoven’s 5th Symphony in the meditative work, and at other times seems to conjure up church bells through the piano.—
Sheila Regan,
Twin Cities,
14 Apr. 2026
Verb
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As the world creeps toward peak travel season, industry leaders are taking notice of the fuel shortages.—
Justin Klawans,
TheWeek,
13 Apr. 2026
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The bottom line Concentration risk often creeps into your portfolio over time.—
Doug Ashburn,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Fergus sends his sons first, but Henry-Christian slips off his brother’s back and falls.—
Maggie Fremont,
Vulture,
17 Apr. 2026
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There’s also a compact coffee table that slips under the seat and turns into a makeshift tray.—
Shea Simmons,
Southern Living,
16 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Worms.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/worms. Accessed 24 Apr. 2026.
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