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
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
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
-
Coyotes are encroaching on urban areas, and have killed household pets and livestock, while sometimes also biting humans.—
Sharon Bernstein,
Sacbee.com,
27 Jan. 2026
-
Next to him on the catwalk-slash-stage, Marguerite LeRolland, senior global insight manager at data analytics firm Euromonitor, spoke about the shifting political landscape and encroaching economic pressures.—
Jasmin Malik Chua,
Sourcing Journal,
23 Jan. 2026
Verb
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That feature has since been covered over with concrete, so don’t get any funny ideas about sneaking into the palace after hours.—
Tori Latham,
Robb Report,
30 Jan. 2026
-
Of course, after a while the thrill of getting caught fades, and sneaking around becomes deeply sad rather than sexy.—
Sam Reed,
Glamour,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
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After a short detour, visitors will find some cute photo ops with the beavers and even more Pokémon creeping onto the main trail.—
Jordan Moreau,
Variety,
27 Jan. 2026
-
Make the jump to cigarette jeans, also known (less charmingly) as stovepipe or boyfriend jeans, which are slowly but surely creeping into the fashion ecosystem.—
Jake Henry Smith,
Glamour,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Airborne tear gas can drift, infiltrating residents’ apartments through vents, air conditioning units and windowsills.—
Graham Hurley,
CNN Money,
20 Jan. 2026
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The second greatest threat for the year, according to Experian, are deepfake candidates infiltrating remote workforces.—
Amanda Gerut,
Fortune,
13 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Few things shake the confidence of a person like crawling to the top bunk of a quivering bed frame, your feet wrapping uncomfortably along the frail metal rungs of the ladder.—
Julia Harrison,
Architectural Digest,
27 Jan. 2026
-
Soon Carbone was crawling with celebrities.—
Sam Stone,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The expensive propaganda doc is glossily shot and lushly scored, although for some reason Ratner keeps inserting segments shot on what looks like Super 8 film, as if to infuse the Trumps with some of that Kennedy-era aura.—
Frank Scheck,
HollywoodReporter,
30 Jan. 2026
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There is a much more civilized way to do this that involves working together with state officials opposed to inserting the administration’s will on a state whose citizens have stood up for their neighbors and said this is not right!—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Meanwhile, the grinding war of attrition along the roughly 600-mile front line snaking through eastern and southern Ukraine has dragged on, and Ukrainian civilians are enduring another winter of hardship after Russian bombardment of cities in the rear.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Jan. 2026
-
Titled a serpentine, their pavilion is inspired by the crinkle crankle wall, a snaking English architecture feature that harkens back to the sinusoidal walls of Ancient Egypt.—
News Desk,
Artforum,
21 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The insoles mold comfortably to your foot, and the rubber outsoles keep slipping and sliding at bay.—
Annie Blackman,
InStyle,
28 Jan. 2026
-
Plus, this 100-piece velvet set prevents tops from slipping off.—
Rachel Trujillo,
PEOPLE,
28 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Worming.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/worming. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.
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