1
as in encroaching
to advance gradually beyond the usual or desirable limits
neighborhoods worming into lands reserved for wildlife
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in sneaking
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 creeping
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
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Recent Examples of worming
In terms of the complex set design — which looks like a facsimile of the same passage over and over but with subtle differences worming their way in — Kawamura and his team built two identical corridors for cinematographer Keisuke Imamura to follow the actors through, third- and first-person-style.
—
Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 15 Apr. 2026
Clara ends up moving to the small town and worming her way into everyone’s hearts.
—Literary Hub, 12 Dec. 2025
Traitors is worming its way in there.
—Mckinley Franklin, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2019
Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 15 Apr. 2026
Clara ends up moving to the small town and worming her way into everyone’s hearts.
—Literary Hub, 12 Dec. 2025
Traitors is worming its way in there.
—Mckinley Franklin, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for worming
Verb
-
An encroaching fog is disrupting the ferry schedule.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
29 Apr. 2026
-
Space can also prove an issue, because some school administrators see even tiny gardens in 5-gallon buckets as encroaching on their schools’ playgrounds.—
Shelley Mitchell,
The Conversation,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
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After the Combine, there was talk about going high in the second round or sneaking into the bottom of the first.—
Kirk Kenney,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
24 Apr. 2026
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And a thick hedgerow is no deterrent to foxes sneaking in to snatch small lambs.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
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For another easy-to-care-for choice that relishes sunlight, look to creeping juniper and its beautifully hazy blue-green leaves.—
Melissa Epifano,
The Spruce,
28 Apr. 2026
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That dingy look creeping across the screens and settling on every surface?—
Lauren Jarvis-Gibson,
Miami Herald,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
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But the opening sequence was a rip-roaring cold open in which Mando and Grogu are infiltrating a base to take down an empire loyalist.—
Brian Welk,
IndieWire,
16 Apr. 2026
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Though fur is very good at creating a warm, protective layer against wind, water is very good at infiltrating small spaces.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
8 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Police said Morgan was seen crawling under a partially open garage door before jumping into a backyard pool.—
Michael Sinkewicz,
FOXNews.com,
29 Apr. 2026
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Footage shared by Sky News showed the animal crawling up onto the eatery's counter.—
Adam England,
PEOPLE,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Brown, however, opted against inserting McBride into the starting lineup, instead deciding to stick with Bridges, who is averaging just seven points on 25% shooting from 3-point range this series.—
Kristian Winfield,
New York Daily News,
25 Apr. 2026
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The Padres were down two runs at the start of the sixth, and given the environment and a day off Friday, Stammen chose to chase the victory by inserting high-leverage left-hander Adrian Morejón.—
Kevin Acee,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
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But that would lead to long lines of impatient and, let’s face it, rather demanding party guests snaking around the hotel (and potentially getting soaked, in Saturday’s dreadful weather).—
Shane Harris,
The Atlantic,
27 Apr. 2026
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Judging from the line snaking down Robertson Blvd.—
Seth Abramovitch,
HollywoodReporter,
26 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Now, Washington conventional wisdom, a 50-50 blend of dinner-party chatter and possibly sponsored social media posts, holds that the prize is slipping a bit from his grasp.—
Ben Smith,
semafor.com,
28 Apr. 2026
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Meanwhile, borrowing costs remain elevated, and wage gains are slipping, struggling to keep up with everything else getting more expensive.—
Tristan Bove,
Fortune,
28 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Worming.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/worming. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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