swapped; swapping
1
a
: to give in trade : barter
b
2
: to take turns in telling
swap stories
: to make an exchange
swapper
noun
: an act, instance, or process of exchanging one thing for another
Synonyms
Examples of swap in a Sentence
Verb
He swapped his cupcake for a candy bar.
I swapped seats with my sister so she could see the stage better.
I liked her blue notebook and she liked my red one, so we swapped.
Noun
They made the swap in secret.
we made a swap: I'll do the dishes tonight and she'll do them for me tomorrow
Recent Examples on the Web
Alex Weprin, The Hollywood Reporter, 4 Apr. 2024
That first change swapped one function with a less secure alternative, potentially attempting another malicious code change, notes developer Evan Boehs in his detailed Jia Tan timeline—though the problem has since been fixed.
—Andy Greenberg and Matt Burgess, WIRED, 3 Apr. 2024
As the video continued, the family could be seen taking photos at a maternity shoot, posing with each other and swapping in Chmerkovskiy's parents and Murgatroyd's mom.
—Angela Andaloro, Peoplemag, 1 Apr. 2024
Unlike other smart locks that require you to fully swap out your deadbolt, this device connects to most modern deadbolts on the inside of your door for control via Wi-Fi with no bridge device needed.
—PCMAG, 1 Apr. 2024
Stewart also mysteriously swapped her black Chanel t-shirt into a plain white crop top roughly halfway through the video.
—EW.com, 27 Mar. 2024
In an effort to raise global citizens, my husband and I swapped family trips to Toronto for opportunities to see places farther away.
—Heather Greenwood Davis, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Mar. 2024
Football and basketball stars who, a decade ago, might have chosen a school with plans to attend for three or four years now swap teams one season at a time.
—Terence McGinley, New York Times, 21 Mar. 2024
As the video continues, the family can be seen taking photos at a maternity shoot, posing with each other and swapping in Chmerkovskiy's parents and Murgatroyd's mom.
—Hannah Sacks, Peoplemag, 21 Mar. 2024
Jeanette Marantos, Los Angeles Times, 4 Apr. 2024
For a time, around 2011, the city discussed a possible land swap with the state Parks and Recreation Department, which owns the nearby campground, as part of the plan to obtain more property along the bluffs.
—Phil Diehl, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 Apr. 2024
Recent public comments from President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia about a possible prisoner swap could be a reason for some optimism, said Jay Conti, general counsel at Dow Jones, the parent company of The Journal.
—Katie Robertson, New York Times, 29 Mar. 2024
These snowflake sugar cookies are also a great non-denominational option for mixed households or seasonal cookie swaps.
—Zoe Denenberg, Southern Living, 21 Mar. 2024
Brianne Lynch, head of market insight for EquityZen, a marketplace for private companies, described Reddit’s first day of swaps as relatively smooth, especially compared with the chatter leading up to the IPO.
—María Soledad Davila Calero, Fortune, 21 Mar. 2024
Never say never, but Broccoli previously expressed doubts that there'd be a gender swap.
—Lauren Huff, EW.com, 19 Mar. 2024
In his Sunday evening address, Putin also made an unprecedented break with his tradition of not uttering Alexey Navalny’s name, discussing his death and confirming discussions over a potential prisoner swap involving the late opposition figure.
—Alexandra Banner, CNN, 18 Mar. 2024
His wish comes true and the body swap will present challenges and life lessons to both women, one a high-flying marketing executive and the other a domestic worker with low self-esteem.
—Anna Marie De La Fuente, Variety, 20 Mar. 2024
Verb
YouTube will be adding other functionality to its Coachella experience too, with the ability to swap audio between stages in multiview, live chats with other fans, and QR codes for easy merchandise purchases.
—Alex Weprin, The Hollywood Reporter, 4 Apr. 2024
That first change swapped one function with a less secure alternative, potentially attempting another malicious code change, notes developer Evan Boehs in his detailed Jia Tan timeline—though the problem has since been fixed.
—Andy Greenberg and Matt Burgess, WIRED, 3 Apr. 2024
As the video continued, the family could be seen taking photos at a maternity shoot, posing with each other and swapping in Chmerkovskiy's parents and Murgatroyd's mom.
—Angela Andaloro, Peoplemag, 1 Apr. 2024
Unlike other smart locks that require you to fully swap out your deadbolt, this device connects to most modern deadbolts on the inside of your door for control via Wi-Fi with no bridge device needed.
—PCMAG, 1 Apr. 2024
Stewart also mysteriously swapped her black Chanel t-shirt into a plain white crop top roughly halfway through the video.
—EW.com, 27 Mar. 2024
In an effort to raise global citizens, my husband and I swapped family trips to Toronto for opportunities to see places farther away.
—Heather Greenwood Davis, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Mar. 2024
Football and basketball stars who, a decade ago, might have chosen a school with plans to attend for three or four years now swap teams one season at a time.
—Terence McGinley, New York Times, 21 Mar. 2024
As the video continues, the family can be seen taking photos at a maternity shoot, posing with each other and swapping in Chmerkovskiy's parents and Murgatroyd's mom.
—Hannah Sacks, Peoplemag, 21 Mar. 2024
Noun
Earth Day celebration at DeForest Park in Long Beach, April 21 at the Earth Day Celebration, plant swap and market in Thousand Oaks and May 25 at the Museum of Art and History in Lancaster.
—Jeanette Marantos, Los Angeles Times, 4 Apr. 2024
For a time, around 2011, the city discussed a possible land swap with the state Parks and Recreation Department, which owns the nearby campground, as part of the plan to obtain more property along the bluffs.
—Phil Diehl, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 Apr. 2024
Recent public comments from President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia about a possible prisoner swap could be a reason for some optimism, said Jay Conti, general counsel at Dow Jones, the parent company of The Journal.
—Katie Robertson, New York Times, 29 Mar. 2024
These snowflake sugar cookies are also a great non-denominational option for mixed households or seasonal cookie swaps.
—Zoe Denenberg, Southern Living, 21 Mar. 2024
Brianne Lynch, head of market insight for EquityZen, a marketplace for private companies, described Reddit’s first day of swaps as relatively smooth, especially compared with the chatter leading up to the IPO.
—María Soledad Davila Calero, Fortune, 21 Mar. 2024
Never say never, but Broccoli previously expressed doubts that there'd be a gender swap.
—Lauren Huff, EW.com, 19 Mar. 2024
In his Sunday evening address, Putin also made an unprecedented break with his tradition of not uttering Alexey Navalny’s name, discussing his death and confirming discussions over a potential prisoner swap involving the late opposition figure.
—Alexandra Banner, CNN, 18 Mar. 2024
His wish comes true and the body swap will present challenges and life lessons to both women, one a high-flying marketing executive and the other a domestic worker with low self-esteem.
—Anna Marie De La Fuente, Variety, 20 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'swap.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
Verb
Middle English swappen to strike; from the practice of striking hands in closing a business deal
First Known Use
Verb
14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a
Noun
1625, in the meaning defined above
Time Traveler
The first known use of swap was
in the 14th century
Phrases Containing swap
Articles Related to swap
Dictionary Entries Near swap
Cite this Entry
“Swap.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/swap. Accessed 16 Apr. 2024.
Copy Citation
Kids Definition
Legal Definition
swap
nounˈswäp
1
: an exchange of securities
2
: a derivative contract in which two parties (as corporations) agree to exchange rates especially relating to debt
More from Merriam-Webster on swap
Nglish: Translation of swap for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of swap for Arabic Speakers
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