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
The best success comes using it in jungle-thick cover, worming a minnow down between uncooperative branches.
—
John Phillips, Outdoor Life, 14 May 2026
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
John Phillips, Outdoor Life, 14 May 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for worming
Verb
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Immersive experiences like Meow Wolf, Activate Games, or the Sphere in Las Vegas are also encroaching, offering visitors something truly novel (no offense to funnel cakes).—
HubSpot,
HubSpot,
1 June 2026
-
Jurado noted that tongues of salt water are already encroaching into some of the freshwater areas of South Florida.—
Bill Kearney,
Sun Sentinel,
23 May 2026
Verb
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While that move threatened a major energy price shock, trade flows have since reorientated, governments have taken emergency measures, and a growing stream of oil is now sneaking out of the waterway under cover of darkness.—
Bloomberg,
Oc Register,
12 June 2026
-
More volumes sneaking out of the Middle East via pipeline and the Gulf also are contributing.—
Jordan Blum,
Fortune,
12 June 2026
Verb
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The vote comes as communities around the country debate how to handle increasingly large data centers creeping into populated areas.—
Mary Ramsey
Updated June 8,
Charlotte Observer,
9 June 2026
-
With summer finally creeping into New England, the humidity was high and the rain was occasionally intense.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
9 June 2026
Verb
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These include the consolidation of gourmand perfumes’ popularity and synergy with the food industry to sports, active lifestyles and pop culture infiltrating the storytelling of artistic olfactory collections, which are increasingly attracting younger consumers.—
Sandra Salibian,
Footwear News,
9 June 2026
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In it, when her brother is arrested, Harvard Law student Madison Rivera cuts a deal with the DOJ to save him by infiltrating the chambers of the most powerful judge in Boston, Judge Kathryn Conroy.—
Nellie Andreeva,
Deadline,
3 June 2026
Verb
-
Wrigley Field West, aka Coors Field, was crawling with Cubs fans on Tuesday night.—
Patrick Saunders,
Denver Post,
11 June 2026
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He was found on Thursday morning, crawling towards Base Camp, and airlifted to Kathmandu, where doctors are treating him for frostbite, severe dehydration and a fractured thigh bone.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
10 June 2026
Verb
-
ElAttrache performed surgery on McGregor in July 2021, inserting a rod, plates and screws into his left leg after the fighter broke his tibia and fibula during a mixed martial arts bout against Dustin Poirier in Las Vegas.—
Steve Henson,
Los Angeles Times,
12 June 2026
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Depositphotos In a new MIT study – in partnership with Purdue, Northwestern, and Duke universities – chemists have discovered that inserting weaker bonds into polystyrene actually makes the material more resistant to damage.—
Shirl Leigh
June 10,
New Atlas,
10 June 2026
Verb
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The crowds of caring people who stood patiently in lines snaking from area blood-donation centers.—
Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board,
The Orlando Sentinel,
12 June 2026
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Ticket sales for Sunday hovered around 15,000 heading into the weekend, and the surge over the last 24 hours clearly caught stadium staff off guard, given the limited gates opened and lines snaking down Friars Road.—
Mark Zeigler,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
8 June 2026
Verb
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Imagine a huge scorpion the size of a baseball bat, scrambling over mossy rocks and around large, treelike structures before slipping into a nearby stream.—
Shraddha Chakradhar,
CNN Money,
10 June 2026
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And then there were celebration performances for The Book of Mormon (15th anniversary) and Chicago (30th anniversary), with stars from the past slipping back into their old roles.—
Dalton Ross,
Entertainment Weekly,
8 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Worming.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/worming. Accessed 16 Jun. 2026.
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