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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for worms
Verb
-
While a new generation of young singer-songwriters encroaches on country music’s old guard by the day, the Texas barnstormer has found his footing with a fan base hell-bent on capturing every moment Myers affords them.—
Josh Crutchmer,
Rolling Stone,
4 Sep. 2025 -
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
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
-
Aloe vera sneaks in lightweight hydration, and wheat protein helps strengthen to keep breakage at bay.—
Christa Joanna Lee,
Allure,
10 Sep. 2025
-
And if his club sneaks into the postseason and perhaps make a successful run, don’t forget his role in getting them there.—
Tony Blengino,
Forbes.com,
8 Sep. 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
-
A little before that, McElwee inserts an extremely candid interview in which Adrian, who has just gotten out of another rehab program in Colorado, discusses his addiction problems with honesty and intelligence.—
Jordan Mintzer,
HollywoodReporter,
3 Sep. 2025
-
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
-
That answer will likely dictate whether XRP enters a new growth phase or slips back into another stretch of uncertainty.—
Trefis Team,
Forbes.com,
11 Sep. 2025
-
Beat out Luke Gifford in practice or Gifford’s play slips?—
Matt Barrows,
New York Times,
10 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.
Cite this Entry
“Worms.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/worms. Accessed 14 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share