worming

present participle of worm
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

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for worming
Verb
  • Another sign of creeping fatigue?
    Liam Twomey, The Athletic, 5 Jan. 2025
  • Invasive plants also spread quickly in multiple ways, such as by seeds, creeping stems and roots, or fruits eaten by birds and dropped elsewhere.
    Arricca Elin SanSone, Southern Living, 5 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • And law enforcement agencies started surveilling and infiltrating Muslim communities across the United States.
    Abdallah Fayyad, Vox, 27 Mar. 2025
  • An Army veteran police officer was killed in a shootout during an operational crackdown on transnational drug trafficking organizations infiltrating illicit drugs into the United States, California officials said Wednesday.
    Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, FOXNews.com, 26 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • The sketch recalled Billy Crystal’s annual tradition of starting the Oscars by digitally inserting himself into scenes from the nominees.
    Zack Sharf, Variety, 13 Mar. 2025
  • After inserting a quarter, simply pull on the tether holding your cart to the cart behind to release yours.
    Meghan Overdeep, Southern Living, 12 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • Harrison took Georgia’s second-half kickoff all the way to the end zone, slipping a tackle near the middle of the field, cutting toward the right sideline and outrunning everyone.
    Brett Martel, The Denver Post, 2 Jan. 2025
  • Richardson failed at the first one; nailed the second, and was slipping on #3.
    Scott Powers, The Athletic, 30 Dec. 2024
Verb
  • While most of Tyre’s 125,000 residents fled during the war, the city’s Christian quarter, nestled alongside the harbor with its winding alleyways, was one of the few neighborhoods where some people remained.
    Euan Ward, New York Times, 25 Dec. 2024
  • For those who find stairs challenging, there’s a winding dirt path that will also take you to the top.
    Jaclyn Cosgrove, Los Angeles Times, 19 Dec. 2024
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.

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Cite this Entry

“Worming.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/worming. Accessed 23 Apr. 2025.

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