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
  • Each is 560 feet (171 meters) long and is operated by a crew of about 155 sailors.
    — Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 29 July 2026
  • Many merchant sailors are now wondering if the profession has become too dangerous, because the Iran war is only the latest crisis to ensnare the shipping industry.
    — The Week US, TheWeek, 27 July 2026
Definition of sailors
Noun
  • At one point, up to 20,000 mariners and 2,000 ships were stuck in the Gulf, with only a few vessels squeezing through the strait each day.
    — The Week US, TheWeek, 27 July 2026
  • With dozens killed in recent strikes and thousands of mariners stranded on vulnerable vessels, mediation efforts show little progress.
    — Julia Frankel, Los Angeles Times, 24 July 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 Aug. 2026.

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