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
  • The chairman claimed his words had been taken out of context, but his comments were splashed across the back of the newspapers and caused a storm of controversy.
    Matt Woosnam, New York Times, 25 Oct. 2025
  • Avdija capped off the incendiary 12 minutes by splashing his fourth trey of the half to give the Blazers a 69-56 halftime lead.
    Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 25 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • In the unending torrent of police corruption in Massachusetts, here’s a bit of good news.
    Howie Carr, Boston Herald, 29 Oct. 2025
  • But if so, that original dream did not last long in the face of the torrent of money that soon started flooding his way.
    Moisés Naím, Literary Hub, 27 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • By the late 1990s, the mob’s influence, along with the swagger, the social clubs and the handshakes on Mulberry Street, had diminished.
    Alaa Elassar, CNN Money, 27 Oct. 2025
  • Some lean cozy and classic, others go bold with cowboy swagger or a drizzle of hot honey, but all of them guarantee clean plates.
    Maggie Meyer Glisan, Better Homes & Gardens, 23 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Predicting something that has becoming increasingly unpredictable is an impossible task, but here’s a look at how the shutdown could ripple through critical avenues of everyday life.
    Alicia Wallace, CNN Money, 31 Oct. 2025
  • But his willingness to throw out independent commissions, and his success in getting Democrats to follow him, is rippling throughout his party.
    David Weigel, semafor.com, 29 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
  • Since its first drink in 1954, Harry's Banana Farm in the West Palm Beach area of Florida has been serving up well drinks and plenty of sass, which can usually be seen on the ever-changing and cheekily phrased marquee sign out front.
    Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 27 Oct. 2025
  • Signs of sass becoming a problem include growling or snapping, guarding objects, ignoring basic commands persistently, or biting and destroying items.
    Liz O'Connell, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Oct. 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 4 Nov. 2025.

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