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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
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
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
Noun
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 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 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for swash
Verb
  • The camera crew was typically two feet away from his face at all times, and with water splashing around in there, the movie just sounded horrific and atrocious for months.
    — Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Podcast platforms, which once splashed cash around, have also cut their spending.
    — Dade Hayes, Deadline, 13 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • And various gamma-ray observatories in orbit were saturated and blinded by the torrent of incoming radiation.
    — Robin George Andrews, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026
  • Following testimony from Meta staff who downloaded torrents, the order could expose a wider range of supervisors, managers, and executives whom staffers said greenlit the piracy.
    — Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 20 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • The sideways-hat swagger after victories with star right fielder Ronald Acuña Jr.
    — Lawrence Price, AJC.com, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Black performers carry a very specific quality of soul and swagger with them no matter what genre their art is slotted into.
    — Kyle Denis, Billboard, 12 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Reactions have rippled throughout the extended web of DWTS personnel and alums, and the latest to weigh in is Gleb Savchenko, a seasoned pro who sat out this entire season after his own share of controversy.
    — Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 18 Oct. 2026
  • With resurgent inflation and traders weighing the Fed's next move, any signal on the rate path could ripple through the equities, bond and currency markets.
    — Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 16 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • The water flow is being managed at Canton Lake, and the Corps of Engineers said the goal is to have between 600 and 730 cubic feet of water per second leave through sluice gates during the greatest period of flow.
    — Dale Denwalt, Oklahoman, 22 Sep. 2026
  • Kids can dig for fossil replicas and pose for photos next to life-sized dinosaur statues, or pan for treasures in the sluice machine.
    — Kristen Kidd, Denver Post, 22 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • With her Democratic Socialists of America sass, bright amethyst blazers and Bollywood needle drops on Instagram, the lifelong Angeleno cuts a stark contrast to her rival, Deputy Dist.
    — Sonja Sharp, Los Angeles Times, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Susi Singer’s figurative candlestick has style and sass that owes at least partly to its earthenware origins, favored at the Werkstätte for its affordability over porcelain, but much less capable of refined shapes.
    — Emily Watlington, ARTnews.com, 24 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • The Johnson County Sheriff's Office received a call around noon of two persons in the water near the Coralville Reservoir spillway at the nature reserve, which is roughly eight and a half miles north of Iowa City.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 24 Sep. 2026
  • The sheriff’s office said deputies responded shortly after noon Tuesday to a report of people in the water at Lake Macbride State Park near the Coralville Reservoir spillway.
    — Kelsie Cairns , Michael Sinkewicz, FOXNews.com, 24 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • The hotel is situated in a floodway, which limits construction for safety purposes, so since 1993 the site’s various owners haven’t been able to build anew; renovating ad infinitum has proven to be just dandy though.
    — Rachel Tepper Paley, Bon Appetit Magazine, 15 Oct. 2026
  • This 59,000-acre floodway carries the river’s excess past the state capital.
    — Sean Macaday, Sacbee.com, 20 Sep. 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Swash.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/swash. Accessed 26 Oct. 2026.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster