1
2
as in to infiltrate
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
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 worm
Though it’s charted for six weeks, wormed its way into people’s verbal tics, and made it into song-of-summer conversations, the song has only hit No. 3 on the ranking, sitting at a solid No. 4 this week.
—
Zoe Guy, Vulture, 24 June 2024
The film follows a poor family who deftly worms their way into the life of a wealthy family.
—Joan MacDonald, Forbes, 30 Dec. 2024
By teasing the smith with information about the rings and playing on Celebrimbor’s ego and grievances, Sauron worms his way back into Celebrimbor’s good graces.
—Keith Phipps, Vulture, 29 Aug. 2024
With that, a huge part of any new sports league is finding the right theme song, one that will stick viewers, carrying them through victory and sorrow, and worming its way into the back on their mind after endless hours of repetition.
—Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 18 Nov. 2024
See All Example Sentences for worm
Zoe Guy, Vulture, 24 June 2024
The film follows a poor family who deftly worms their way into the life of a wealthy family.
—Joan MacDonald, Forbes, 30 Dec. 2024
By teasing the smith with information about the rings and playing on Celebrimbor’s ego and grievances, Sauron worms his way back into Celebrimbor’s good graces.
—Keith Phipps, Vulture, 29 Aug. 2024
With that, a huge part of any new sports league is finding the right theme song, one that will stick viewers, carrying them through victory and sorrow, and worming its way into the back on their mind after endless hours of repetition.
—Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 18 Nov. 2024
See All Example Sentences for worm
Recent Examples of Synonyms for worm
Verb
-
About 20 years ago, when the Montreal Expos moved to Washington, then-Orioles owner Peter Angelos pushed MLB to broker a deal to compensate the Baltimore club for a new team encroaching on what was Orioles territory.—
Jacob Calvin Meyer,
Chicago Tribune,
3 Mar. 2025
-
All 17 deaths in the Eaton fire took place west of Altadena’s Lake Avenue, an area that didn’t receive emergency evacuation orders until the early morning hours of Jan. 8, when smoke and flames were already encroaching on the neighborhood.—
Corinne Purtill,
Los Angeles Times,
8 Feb. 2025
Verb
-
The 1,4-dioxane also has infiltrated the western portion of Seminole County’s public water system, although county leaders to date have been mostly mute about the dangers and the need for corrective action.—
Kevin Spear,
Orlando Sentinel,
28 Feb. 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.—
Nellie Andreeva,
Deadline,
26 Feb. 2025
Verb
-
More than its luxurious beat and that ad-jingle hook that snakes through its first half, the song features Drake sounding playful, which has become an increasingly rare occurrence in his catalog.—
Carl Lamarre,
Billboard,
25 Feb. 2025
-
The floral sundress features orange and yellow bouquets, with snaking skyward straps that stand to attention all by themselves—sans wind—and a jaunty hem.—
Anna Cafolla,
Vogue,
23 Feb. 2025
Verb
-
The coach inserts Ryan Davis, Alex Mangold, Eli Allen and Alex Sessoms.—
Walter Villa,
Miami Herald,
5 Mar. 2025
-
Quinten Post, inserted into the starting lineup for Butler, hit a pair of 3s and got to work on the glass on both ends of the court.—
Danny Emerman,
The Mercury News,
3 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
If no shelter is available, crawl to an interior wall away from windows.—
Don Sweeney,
Sacramento Bee,
26 Feb. 2025
-
As Hill sprinted from the trailing vehicle, the president was struck by a second and third shot as Hill crawled onto the back of the Kennedys' accelerating car.—
Bill Trott,
USA TODAY,
25 Feb. 2025
Verb
-
As Christina has a conversation with her competition outside of their property’s garage, Lange sneaks into the house and records each room, picking up a few souvenirs along the way.—
Natalia Senanayake,
People.com,
6 Mar. 2025
-
The president was on his balcony, smoking a cigarette and reading the tablet, when Trent, wearing the excavation uniform, snuck up and hit him with a heavy drill bit from the library’s display case; Cal dropped the tablet in the hedges below.—
Kimberly Roots,
TVLine,
4 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
Distractions creep in, and setbacks sap your motivation.—
Glenn Llopis,
Forbes,
22 Feb. 2025
-
Meanwhile, the jail population has steadily crept upward since plunging below 4,000 for a short period during the early months of the COVID pandemic.—
Graham Rayman,
New York Daily News,
21 Feb. 2025
Verb
-
Its follow-up, the group’s second full-length, declines even further, slipping from No. 21 to No. 33. Follow me on Twitter.—
Hugh McIntyre,
Forbes,
26 Feb. 2025
-
The 10-year Treasury note yield slipped on Wednesday as concerns over an escalating trade war and weak economic growth led traders to send bond prices higher.—
Hakyung Kim,Sawdah Bhaimiya,
CNBC,
26 Feb. 2025
Articles Related to worm
Cite this Entry
“Worm.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/worm. Accessed 9 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share