infiltrated

verb

past tense of infiltrate
as in sneaked
to introduce in a gradual, secret, or clever way over time, undercover agents infiltrated the crime ring and eventually busted their gambling racket

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 infiltrated Texans have always seemed to relish their otherness, maybe even more so now that, in our age of globalization, so much sameness has infiltrated most American and international cities. — Christine Lennon, Condé Nast Traveler, 30 Aug. 2026 Musk’s officials infiltrated department after department, canceling contracts, firing employees, viewing sensitive data, and kneecapping programs related to diversity, equity, and inclusion, as well as foreign aid. — Literary Hub, 26 Aug. 2026 Agents also infiltrated private group chats and gathered information on community members. — Brittney Melton, NPR, 25 Aug. 2026 In early September, 1972, a Palestinian militant group called Black September infiltrated the Olympic Games in Munich and killed eleven Israeli athletes. — Rozina Ali, New Yorker, 21 Aug. 2026 Italian food products and cuisine have infiltrated just about every corner of the globe, but nothing compares to trying classic Italian dishes at their source—and there’s so much more than pizza, pasta, and gelato. — Laura Itzkowitz, Travel + Leisure, 20 Aug. 2026 The manosphere has infiltrated every aspect of our society—social media and content creators, dating, politics, businesses. — Emma Hinchliffe, Fortune, 17 Aug. 2026 Prosecutors say Beirich, who previously led the SPLC's hate groups tracking section, was one among several individuals who oversaw payments to individuals who infiltrated white supremacist groups and acted as informants for SPLC. — Alexander Mallin, ABC News, 12 Aug. 2026 By the time smoke is visible, the finest particles, which are of greatest health concern, have often already infiltrated the building. — Sissi Liu, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for infiltrated
  1. sneaked
  2. inserted
  3. slipped
  4. wormed
  5. introduced
Verb
  • The couple snuck off the next weekend and got married on May 30, 1966 at the Ringgold Baptist Church in Ringgold, Ga.
    — Hannah Sacks, PEOPLE, 26 Aug. 2026
  • While Bad Sisters snuck a nuanced portrait of sisterhood into a frantic whodunit, Youth lets its characters steep in the weirdness of ordinary life.
    — Joy Press, Vanity Fair, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of sneaked
Verb
  • Those margins raise the prospect that similar language could be inserted into any further budget deals without triggering opposition.
    — John Timmer, ArsTechnica, 2 Sep. 2026
  • In Tokyo, sandwiches are advertised with an image in which the bagel seems to be made of cobwebs and contains a tuna salad that appears to have been inserted via a piping bag.
    — David Mack, CNN Money, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of inserted
Verb
  • Zscaler — The cloud security company's stock slipped nearly 2% despite its earnings beat.
    — Michelle Fox, CNBC, 4 Sep. 2026
  • The Office Romance star slipped on a stack of Fope’s gold mesh bracelets, topping off her ensemble with a Chanel handbag and Cartier earrings from the jeweler’s signature Panthère collection.
    — Hannah Malach, InStyle, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of slipped
Verb
  • Gemini has wormed its way into virtually every Google product and service, powering email organization in Gmail, document summary in Drive, and much more.
    — ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 11 Aug. 2026
  • Like parasites, those jukebox musicals wormed their way into Broadway and slowly killed the medium.
    — Jesse Eisenberg, New Yorker, 20 July 2026
Definition of wormed
Verb
  • That change was introduced to help give club staff working across transfer departments a more normal working pattern.
    — Leon Imber, New York Times, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Selective repression had already been introduced before 2022 with the imprisonment of a number of governors, ministers, and high-ranking civil servants on charges of corruption and abuse of power.
    — Andrei Soldatov, Foreign Affairs, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of introduced

Browse Nearby Words

infiltrate
infiltrated
infiltrates
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Cite this Entry

“Infiltrated.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/infiltrated. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

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