1
as in effects
the power to bring about a result on another
under the sway of euphoria, she offered to take us all out to dinner in celebration of her new job
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in influences
the power to direct the thinking or behavior of others usually indirectly
outdated attitudes that still hold sway in some communities
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in controls
the right or means to command or control others
a time when Rome held sway over a vast empire that stretched from Britain to the Near East
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in affects
to act upon (a person or a person's feelings) so as to cause a response
how can you not be swayed by that precious kitten, meowing as if to say, "Please take me home with you?"
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in lurches
to make a series of unsteady side-to-side motions
the way the ski lift was swaying in the wind made me nervous
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in governs
archaic
to exercise authority or power over
an epic novel set in the days when Rome swayed the Western world
Synonyms & Similar Words
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 sways
Dan Hayes, New York Times, 29 Sep. 2025
Hayley then flashes a strip of sonogram photos at the camera as the couple smiles and sways in the sunlight.
—Charlotte Phillipp, PEOPLE, 15 Sep. 2025
As such, wardrobe styling and other modes of non-verbal communication — from raising an eyebrow or throwing a cutting look to the way one lights a cigarette or sways to a disco beat — were particularly key to creating character.
—Angelique Jackson, Variety, 14 Sep. 2025
The museum gets off with a bang by taking guests on a simulated trip to space in a high-tech elevator lined with pin-sharp ultra-HD screens and a floor which gently sways to simulate zero gravity.
—Caroline Reid, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2025
Yet, across the water, a seemingly impenetrable wall of the invasive plants sways in the wind, several feet tall.
—Adriana Pérez, Chicago Tribune, 31 Aug. 2025
The camera sways and various items around the room fall over.
—Joedy McCreary, USA TODAY, 6 Dec. 2024
The feeling of walking up to your property, putting the keys in the door but then the door just sways open.
—David Crown, Forbes, 4 Dec. 2024
There’s a canopy of old-growth oaks that sways amid strings of glowing baubles and glittering fleurs-de-lis.
—Caroline Rogers, Southern Living, 25 Nov. 2024
Verb
One call sways the difference of the game.
—Dan Hayes, New York Times, 29 Sep. 2025
Hayley then flashes a strip of sonogram photos at the camera as the couple smiles and sways in the sunlight.
—Charlotte Phillipp, PEOPLE, 15 Sep. 2025
As such, wardrobe styling and other modes of non-verbal communication — from raising an eyebrow or throwing a cutting look to the way one lights a cigarette or sways to a disco beat — were particularly key to creating character.
—Angelique Jackson, Variety, 14 Sep. 2025
The museum gets off with a bang by taking guests on a simulated trip to space in a high-tech elevator lined with pin-sharp ultra-HD screens and a floor which gently sways to simulate zero gravity.
—Caroline Reid, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2025
Yet, across the water, a seemingly impenetrable wall of the invasive plants sways in the wind, several feet tall.
—Adriana Pérez, Chicago Tribune, 31 Aug. 2025
The camera sways and various items around the room fall over.
—Joedy McCreary, USA TODAY, 6 Dec. 2024
The feeling of walking up to your property, putting the keys in the door but then the door just sways open.
—David Crown, Forbes, 4 Dec. 2024
There’s a canopy of old-growth oaks that sways amid strings of glowing baubles and glittering fleurs-de-lis.
—Caroline Rogers, Southern Living, 25 Nov. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sways
Noun
-
LogoPowered byScale logo As the federal government shutdown has dragged into its seventh day, questions remain around how long-lasting the effects of service suspensions and funding cuts could be.—
Miranda Jeyaretnam,
Time,
8 Oct. 2025
-
Perhaps the most compelling evidence of the therapy’s potential lies in its long-term therapeutic effects.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
7 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
To better incorporate Eastern influences, Wang included a tea room and flower shop on the ground floor of the store.—
Denni Hu,
Footwear News,
13 Oct. 2025
-
Most of the album’s compositions, a mix of jazz, rock, and Latin influences, were created by Williams himself.—
Nicole Hoey,
Robb Report,
13 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
This allows customers to innovate with sophisticated AI capabilities for robot controls and perception.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
10 Oct. 2025
-
China places export controls on rare earth minerals The new rules curb the supply chain for the semiconductors that are used in phones, computers, AI data centers, cars, solar panels, and other IT kit.—
Geoff Colvin,
Fortune,
10 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The neurodegenerative disorder, which causes tremors, affects speech and leads to motor skills, has no cure.—
Eric Andersson,
PEOPLE,
11 Oct. 2025
-
IgA nephropathy mainly affects the kidneys, while IgA vasculitis can also involve your skin, joints, and digestive system.—
Ruth Jessen Hickman,
Health,
11 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Despite that notable change, watching One Battle After Another is much like the experience of reading Pynchon, who lurches from high comedy to stomach-turning naturalism and punctuates plot-heavy sequences with little grace notes of character portraiture.—
Paul A. Thompson,
Pitchfork,
24 Sep. 2025
-
That film begins with charismatic bank robber Ryan Gosling in a thrilling motorcycle escape from the cops, and moves through several twists and turns, lurches forward in time, and holds Gosling at its heart as a man doing bad things for good reasons.—
Joe Reid,
Vulture,
8 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Now 66, Barghouti, was previously the leader of the Palestinian political group Fatah, a rival to Hamas, and which governs the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank.—
Callum Sutherland,
Time,
8 Oct. 2025
-
Their work paved the way for real world applications of quantum mechanics, which governs the way the world works at the smallest, subatomic scales and distances, said Jonathan Bagger, a particle physicist and CEO of the American Physical Society.—
Katie Hunt,
CNN Money,
7 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The county’s top performers underscore the impacts of student family income.—
Jemma Stephenson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
10 Oct. 2025
-
Weather report For more information on the impacts of weather, read Jake Ciely’s fantasy football strategy guide to weather.—
Jess Bryant,
New York Times,
9 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Another example is msg Global Solutions AG, whose Greenwashing Detector solution leverages generative AI to validate reports and detect potential greenwashing.—
Sophia Mendelsohn,
Forbes.com,
17 Sep. 2025
-
FashFind leverages computer vision paired with machine learning algorithms to identify the unique attributes submitted products have—whether that’s color, fabric type, patterns, silhouette, length or otherwise.—
Meghan Hall,
Sourcing Journal,
8 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Sways.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sways. Accessed 14 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share