swimmer

noun

swim·​mer ˈswi-mər How to pronounce swimmer (audio)
plural swimmers
: a person or animal that swims
a competitive swimmer
a fast/strong swimmer
… he liked to tell us that he had been a powerful swimmer in his youth, but I never saw him in actual water save once, and he then came out very promptly, shivering and upset.H. L. Mencken
a dog that is an excellent swimmer

Examples of swimmer in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Gaines grew a following on the right through targeting trans athletes, particularly former swimmer Lia Thomas, with whom Gaines tied for fifth place during the 2022 NCAA championships. Abby Monteil, Them., 28 Oct. 2025 Inexperienced swimmers should remain out of the water due to dangerous surf conditions. Nc Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 28 Oct. 2025 Based on Lidia Yuknavitch’s memoir, The Chronology of Water casts the actress as a competitive swimmer who comes to terms with an abusive childhood while navigating self-destructive behavior. Chris Gardner, HollywoodReporter, 27 Oct. 2025 These conditions put swimmers, surfers, and beachgoers at risk. Anna Skinner, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for swimmer

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of swimmer was in the 14th century

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Cite this Entry

“Swimmer.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/swimmer. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.

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