swash 1 of 2

1
as in to splash
to move with a splashing motion waves gently swashing against the shore

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in to slosh
to cause (something liquid or mushy) to move along in sheets every bump in the road swashed a little more of my soda on the car's upholstery

Synonyms & Similar Words

swash

2 of 2

noun

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 swash
Verb
Mole crabs burrow themselves in the intertidal swash zone but leave their antennae exposed above the surface to trap food like algae and plankton. Lauren Liebhaber, Miami Herald, 8 May 2025 This cushiony highlighter deposits a swash of subtle champagne, rose quartz, or gold while the squalane (the secret star of the show) provides moisture for a long-lasting look that provides a skin-like, never cakey, finish. Anamaria Glavan, Allure, 5 Oct. 2024 The dessert menu is just as backward-looking (or, more generously, classic-minded) as the savory offerings: cheesecake with a swash of berry sauce, dark chocolate pot de crème. Helen Rosner, The New Yorker, 30 June 2024 Glow Set a travel necessity—perfect for quick makeup touch-ups, passing through TSA, or a shimmering swash of color. Kiana Murden, Vogue, 5 Nov. 2021 Hollywood’s history is rich with swash-buckling scenes. Allison Prang, WSJ, 22 Oct. 2021 Some big trout are still in the swash on the beach at dawn, though this action will slow as the water continues to warm—topwaters get them. Frank Sargeant, al, 18 June 2021
Noun
Recurring character Goro Majima swashes his buckles as the sole protagonist, taking to the seas having suffered from an almighty case of pirate amnesia. Lewis Gordon, Vulture, 8 Jan. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for swash
Verb
  • They’re also rated IPX4 for sweat and splash resistance.
    Juhi Wadia, PC Magazine, 7 Oct. 2025
  • Reed landed multiple Tsunami splashes on Reigns, who was stretchered out of the arena.
    Fernando Quiles Jr, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Real estate agents in Westchester, directly north of the city’s border, say the torrent began shortly after Mamdani’s surprise win in the Democratic primary in June.
    Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 30 Sep. 2025
  • The death of Banda Amidst the torrents, Arisu follows the sound of Usagi’s voice, as they are both swept towards a watery vortex that leads to the world of the dead.
    Kayti Burt, Time, 26 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Cowboy meatloaf is just like your regular weeknight dish, but with bold, smokey swagger.
    Kimberly Holland, Southern Living, 5 Oct. 2025
  • Daniels after both of his TDs sought out the TV cameras just outside the end zone and merrily mocked FSU’s famous war chant, an echo of the swagger of Canes teams past.
    Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 5 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • When payments depend on a handful of correspondent relationships, shocks in one jurisdiction can ripple worldwide—whether from sanctions, de-risking decisions, cybersecurity incidents, or compliance backlogs.
    Chris Maurice, Fortune, 3 Oct. 2025
  • These small shifts rippled into the changes that my clients report as being transformative.
    Sonia Singh, Rolling Stone, 3 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Charlie got into the shower, letting the hot water sluice off the rest of the blood on her back and whatever had dried in her hair.
    Maureen Lee Lenker, Entertainment Weekly, 19 Sep. 2025
  • Mauna Lani staff still manage the ponds in the traditional way: Ocean tides bring fish in through a series of wooden sluice gates.
    Samantha Dunn, Oc Register, 4 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • The Real Housewives of Potomac take center stage to celebrate a decade of style, sass and sophistication, while spilling what’s still in store for this landmark season.
    Kimberly Roots, TVLine, 30 Sep. 2025
  • Even before she was nominated for an Oscar for her performance in Alexander Payne’s Nebraska (2002), the 95-year-old actor had been a go-to Everygrandma, doling out enough geriatric sass to make the Golden Girls bow down yet doing so in the most polite, Midwestern way imaginable.
    David Fear, Rolling Stone, 24 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • For many years, the lake level was maintained at 290 feet, which is about 40% capacity, 25 feet below the spillway level of 315 feet.
    Karen Billing, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Sep. 2025
  • Even a short jaunt — from the Botanical Garden to Dean Village, for example — will provide a sense of peace, with the sounds of bird song and the rushing waters from old spillways.
    Jeanine Barone, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • The closest the data center would be to Weston Gardens is 370 feet, said Riley, due to a wooded floodway and floodplain between the Black Mountain property and Weston’s.
    Matthew Adams, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 29 Sep. 2025
  • Call it resilience, call it infrastructure, call it economic development—just build it before the next 8-year-old goes to sleep in a floodway.
    Daniel Lehewych, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Swash.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/swash. Accessed 9 Oct. 2025.

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