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swabbies

noun

plural of swabbie, slang
as in sailors
one who operates or navigates a seagoing vessel the pirate captain cried, "Ahoy, me swabbies, 'tis time to hoist the Jolly Roger!"

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for swabbies
  1. sailors
  2. mariners
Noun
  • But the sailors were too numbed with the cold to attempt going forward to secure it.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 29 Sep. 2026
  • Eight sailors attempted suicide while deployed with the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier strike group, which spent a record-setting uninterrupted time at sea supporting the Iran war, the Navy’s top civilian leader said this week.
    — Ben Finley, Los Angeles Times, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of sailors
Noun
  • If there was only sea, with water that never stands still, locating anything would be much more complicated—as mariners know full well.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 21 Sep. 2026
  • Officials said a good Samaritan vessel also stepped in, rescuing the 15-year-old survivor and recovering the bodies of the two deceased mariners from the water.
    — Bonny Chu, FOXNews.com, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of mariners
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.

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swabbie
swabbies
swabbing
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Cite this Entry

“Swabbies.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/swabbies. Accessed 1 Oct. 2026.

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