worm in the apple

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worm in the apple

noun worms in the apple

A serious flaw in something otherwise good; a problem that ruins everything else. The worms in the apple, of course, are Baby Boom liberals who latched on to the one institution they could control—the university.
Similar: fly in the ointment

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MLA

"worm in the apple." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/worm%20in%20the%20apple. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

worm in the apple. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/worm%20in%20the%20apple

Chicago

"worm in the apple." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/worm%20in%20the%20apple.

BibTeX

@misc{worm_in_the_apple_2026,
  title = {worm in the apple},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/worm%20in%20the%20apple},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}