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as in to promise
to make a solemn declaration of intent
swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in curse
a disrespectful or indecent word or expression
can't you express your frustration without using swears?
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of swear
New Atlas, 15 June 2026
Victor Lindelof’s pre-match comments smacked of bombast and confidence, the sort of words which are said but not meant, platitudes used to motivate rather than to be sworn under oath.
—Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 15 June 2026
Bethy Squires, Vulture, 31 Dec. 2025
Some swear by using coffee grounds to give their Christmas cactus encouragement during the blooming season.
—Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 12 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for swear
Verb
Knowing auto engineers that probably means lots of swearing and finally using a crowbar and lump hammer to make the thing fit.
—New Atlas, 15 June 2026
Victor Lindelof’s pre-match comments smacked of bombast and confidence, the sort of words which are said but not meant, platitudes used to motivate rather than to be sworn under oath.
—Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 15 June 2026
Noun
In both The Wire and 25th Hour, Whitlock uttered his catchphrase swear.
—Bethy Squires, Vulture, 31 Dec. 2025
Some swear by using coffee grounds to give their Christmas cactus encouragement during the blooming season.
—Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 12 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for swear
Recent Examples of Synonyms for swear
Verb
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The Cubs lost 8-6 and the cheers turned to jeers and swears as relief pitcher Jacob Webb cursed his own performance after the game.—
Jeff Vorva,
Chicago Tribune,
21 June 2026
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As the inscription had been damaged, researchers couldn’t decipher whether this tablet had cursed four slaves or whether four slaves had cried out to the Egyptian gods and demi-heroes, who knows?—
Maria Mocerino,
Interesting Engineering,
20 June 2026
Verb
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Alicent additionally promised Rhaenyra that a march to the Red Keep would be uneventful, because Aemond and Vhagar were bound for the front at Harrenhal.—
Amanda Whiting,
Vulture,
22 June 2026
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Earlier this month, a Manhattan bar ran a promotion promising to comp customers’ drinks if the Knicks won the first game of the NBA Finals, per the New York Times.—
Allison Morrow,
CNN Money,
21 June 2026
Verb
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Lincoln police captain and former Sacramento police gang investigator Zach Eaton testified that Mtula Payton and Dandrae Martin, surviving defendants facing murder charges, were among the players in Sacramento’s complex web of street gangs at the time of the city’s worst-ever mass shooting.—
Darrell Smith,
Sacbee.com,
17 June 2026
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Bastien was listed in court documents as a potential witness in the prosecution’s case against Noreus, but did not testify.—
Annie Martin,
The Orlando Sentinel,
17 June 2026
Noun
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He’d just been followed down a country highway by an angry mob, which screamed cusses and gave him the finger.—
Chris Smith,
Vanity Fair,
11 May 2026
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And, when the alarm wails hours before dawn, human cusses of angry protest join the chorus of budget appliances failing before their time.—
Virginia Konchan,
The New Yorker,
30 Sep. 2024
Verb
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For his followers, blaspheming the Holocaust and celebrating Hitler became a way to signal contempt for the political religion of postwar liberalism.—
Antonia Hitchens,
New Yorker,
6 Apr. 2026
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China banned the ad for insulting national dignity and blaspheming traditional culture.—
Dr. Shan Nair,
Forbes.com,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Starmer has vowed to fight any leadership contest, deepening the sense of crisis within the Labour Party.—
Issy Ronald,
CNN Money,
20 June 2026
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Ospreay has vowed to finally wrap the top AEW title around his waist.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
19 June 2026
Verb
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The other alterations may have contributed to the damning one.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
22 June 2026
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After coming under fire for publicly berating a TV journalist on social media, Paget Brewster has deleted the damning post and apologized.—
Glenn Garner,
Deadline,
21 June 2026
Verb
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The two countries pledge to respect each other’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and to start a 60-day negotiation, extendable by mutual consent, to reach a final agreement.—
Hamidreza Azizi,
Time,
19 June 2026
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The stock’s recent growth — Nano Nuclear is ahead 33% over the past three months — comes in the wake of hyperscalers such as Amazon and Nvidia pledging at least a combined $700 billion to construct AI data centers.—
Liz Napolitano,
CNBC,
19 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Swear.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/swear. Accessed 25 Jun. 2026.
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