infiltrates
Enters by stealth
Infiltrates is the act of entering or penetrating gradually, often without detection.
Water infiltrates soil; spies infiltrate organizations.
The word suggests slow, covert movement past barriers—whether physical, social, or institutional: The group infiltrates enemy territory, Doubt infiltrates even the most confident mind.
In medicine, substances that infiltrate spread into surrounding tissue.
Adversary's military positions
- penetratesPasses into or through
- reconnaissanceInformation-gathering before action
- commandoSpecial operations soldier
- sabotageDeliberate disruption of operations
special forces · perimeter · breach · insertion · stealth · raid · guerrilla · ambush
Covert information gatherer
- agentOne who acts independently
- moleSubterranean insectivore
- undercoverSecretly engaged in espionage
- operativeCovert field agent
covert · intelligence · double agent · sleeper · handler · asset · counterintelligence · embedded
Passes through gradually
- permeatesPasses through entirely
- percolatesFilters slowly through
- saturatesFills to maximum capacity
- absorbsTakes in fully
soaks · leaks · groundwater · membrane · porous · soil · sediment · aquifer
Weakens or overthrows
- corruptsCauses moral decline
- compromisesSettlements through mutual concession
- underminesWeakens by stealth
- plantsPhotosynthesizing rooted organisms
recruits · influences · manipulates · embeds · network · cell · radical · extremist
enemy lines
Adversary's military positions
- penetratesPasses into or through
- reconnaissanceInformation-gathering before action
- commandoSpecial operations soldier
sabotage · special forces · perimeter · breach · insertion · stealth · raid · guerrilla · ambush · patrol
spy
Covert information gatherer
- agentOne who acts independently
- moleSubterranean insectivore
- undercoverSecretly engaged in espionage
operative · covert · intelligence · double agent · sleeper · handler · asset · counterintelligence · embedded · surveillance
seeps
Passes through gradually
- permeatesPasses through entirely
- percolatesFilters slowly through
- saturatesFills to maximum capacity
absorbs · soaks · leaks · groundwater · membrane · porous · soil · sediment · aquifer · runoff
subverts
Weakens or overthrows
- corruptsCauses moral decline
- compromisesSettlements through mutual concession
- underminesWeakens by stealth
plants · recruits · influences · manipulates · embeds · network · cell · radical · extremist · sympathizer
tumor
Abnormal tissue mass
- tissueDisposable soft paper
- cancerUncontrolled cell proliferation disease
- metastasizesSpreads to other organs
spreads · cells · invades · lymph · organ · malignant · margins · surrounding · biopsy · lesion
hacker
Unauthorized system accessor
firewall · backdoor · phishing · exploit · vulnerability · system · encrypted · credentials · data · server
- infiltration basinsDepressions allowing water percolation
- water infiltrationLiquid passing through materials
infiltrate, infiltration, infiltrator, infiltrating, infiltrated, infiltrators, infiltrations