as in sailor
one who operates or navigates a seagoing vessel
old swabs swapping sea stories as they spend their last days in the veterans' home
Synonyms & Similar Words
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as in to wipe
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Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of swab
Angelica Stabile, FOXNews.com, 7 Oct. 2025
Clean your straightener, curling iron A cotton ball or swab dipped in rubbing alcohol is the easiest way to clean a flat iron or curling iron.
—Cody Godwin, USA Today, 5 Oct. 2025
Sacbee.com, 9 Oct. 2025
Current flu tests require nasal or throat swabbing and can be expensive—not to mention uncomfortable.
—Hannah Millington, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for swab
Noun
The flu is currently diagnosed via nasal or throat swab tests, which just became available for over-the-counter use last year.
—Angelica Stabile, FOXNews.com, 7 Oct. 2025
Clean your straightener, curling iron A cotton ball or swab dipped in rubbing alcohol is the easiest way to clean a flat iron or curling iron.
—Cody Godwin, USA Today, 5 Oct. 2025
Verb
These tests can include chest X-rays, swabbing the inside of the mouth or nose, pulse oximetry to detect levels of oxygen and blood tests.
—Sacbee.com, 9 Oct. 2025
Current flu tests require nasal or throat swabbing and can be expensive—not to mention uncomfortable.
—Hannah Millington, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for swab
Recent Examples of Synonyms for swab
Noun
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Commercial-grade appliances, with deep-tilt skillet and griddle, enable sailors to cook more food faster.—
Gidget Fuentes,
USA Today,
5 Jan. 2026
-
In October, Regatta Bonaire draws sailors for races around Bonaire and to its neighboring islands.—
Carley Rojas Avila,
Travel + Leisure,
4 Jan. 2026
Verb
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An employee was using a hip towel to wipe their hands throughout their shift.—
Sacbee.com,
Sacbee.com,
31 Oct. 2025
-
Her theory is that, in cleaning up the murder scene, the killer forgot to wipe the doorknob.—
Rafaela Bassili,
Vulture,
29 Oct. 2025
Noun
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The only real-time observations available to the mariner were shore and ship reports.—
Keith Matheny,
Freep.com,
2 Nov. 2025
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By aiding mariners, Airy believed, such measurements provided a tangible service to the state that the newfangled spectroscopy might not be able to match.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
27 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
To clean them by hand, scrub the curtain with a soft cloth sprinkled with baking soda, then rinse.—
Lauren Wicks,
Southern Living,
4 Nov. 2025
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Somebody is in the kitchen scrubbing your cast-iron pan with dish soap.—
Laura L. Davis,
Nashville Tennessean,
31 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Assistance is free and confidential, Altman said, and Covered California has invested in a network of navigators to ensure help is widely available.—
Cathie Anderson,
Sacbee.com,
1 Jan. 2026
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As time-telling became more precise, ship navigators needed a standardized way to set their chronometers.—
Jack Guy,
CNN Money,
31 Dec. 2025
Verb
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The slick material keeps chafing to a minimum during workouts, and the brushed inside is so soft against the skin and helps keep cold air out and your body heat in.—
Olivia Dubyak,
InStyle,
8 Jan. 2026
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But that glass would be brushed away by street sweepers cleaning up after a parade.—
Dan Pompei,
New York Times,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
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There is no need to rinse, but make sure surfaces stay wet for at least two minutes before air drying.—
Mary Cornetta,
Better Homes & Gardens,
4 Jan. 2026
-
Wipe away the cleaning solution with a soft cloth, then rinse with warm water.—
Barbara Bellesi Zito,
Southern Living,
2 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Then fill it with clean water and mop the floor again to rinse off any bleach residue.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
22 Oct. 2025
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This self-emptying Shark robot vacuum has powerful suction and mopping capabilities, and works diligently to clean small spaces like under your bed or couch.—
Alanna Martine Kilkeary,
Glamour,
17 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Swab.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/swab. Accessed 9 Jan. 2026.
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