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
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
Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 11 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for worms
Verb
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Cloud Dancer, a white that is both warm and cool, reflects an overwhelmed feeling among consumers as the world feels louder and technology, in particular AI, encroaches further into our lives.—
Anna Kaufman,
USA Today,
4 Dec. 2025
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As the third weekend of November encroaches upon us, so does the holiday season — and streaming networks are picking up the cheer in full swing.—
Rebecca Aizin,
PEOPLE,
14 Nov. 2025
Verb
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That winter wonderland becomes a claustrophobic nightmare when an extraterrestrial shapeshifter infiltrates the base camp.—
Huntley Woods,
Entertainment Weekly,
19 Dec. 2025
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Dhurandhar, which follows an Indian spy who infiltrates Pakistan’s underworld to dismantle terror networks, was not cleared for release, The National reported.—
Tasneem Nashrulla,
semafor.com,
15 Dec. 2025
Verb
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Englewood is home to Cedar Point Environmental Park along Lemon Bay, where pine flatwoods cover most of the park, and Oyster Creek Regional Park, where a boardwalk snakes through tidal mangroves, allowing visitors to enjoy bird-watching.—
Dobrina Zhekova,
Travel + Leisure,
8 Dec. 2025
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Two incumbents — west Charlotte’s Thelma Byers-Bailey and Summer Nunn, whose district snakes along the county’s southern border — chose not to run for reelection to the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools Board of Education.—
Josh Bergeron,
Charlotte Observer,
2 Nov. 2025
Verb
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With a new alias, Andrew Birch, Pine sneaks around Roper’s Majorca compound and relays key documents to Burr, all while keeping an indiscriminate profile.—
Jake Kring-Schreifels,
Time,
9 Jan. 2026
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Now, with nowhere else to turn, Mauser sneaks in uninvited to a swanky party in Rockwell's home and begs for his support in front of his wealthy friends.—
Mike Miller,
Entertainment Weekly,
25 Dec. 2025
Verb
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What to do if the -- if the original guy crawls out of his grave and wants his job back.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
26 Oct. 2025
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When a storm crawls, rainfall piles up over the same towns for days.—
Chris Dolce,
CNN Money,
25 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Detailed this week in the journal ACS Sensors, the team describes a small device made from an array of microneedles that inserts into a dead fish (or fillets) and continuously measures hypoxanthine (HX), a key compound closely associated with spoilage.—
Mack DeGeurin,
Popular Science,
4 Dec. 2025
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Amid the melodrama, Trier inserts flashes of comedy.—
Scott Roxborough,
HollywoodReporter,
14 Nov. 2025
Verb
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For Dimon, bureaucracy is a reflex that creeps into any large institution and shields leaders from reality.—
Eva Roytburg,
Fortune,
6 Nov. 2025
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Meyers will continue being a name to watch as the deadline creeps closer.—
Evan Massey,
MSNBC Newsweek,
16 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Yet real sovereignty slips further away.—
Rick Singh,
The Orlando Sentinel,
8 Jan. 2026
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Gwath slips the screen and positions himself for a lob from Byrd.—
Mark Zeigler,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
7 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Worms.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/worms. Accessed 11 Jan. 2026.
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