SWABBING Synonyms: 49 Similar and Opposite Words

swabbing

verb

present participle of swab

as in wiping

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Recent Examples of Synonyms for swabbing

Verb

Bourdain was doing all of the grunt work at the Flagship, scrubbing pots and pans, scraping plates, peeling potatoes, and cleaning shrimp.

— Olivia B. Waxman, Time, 7 Aug. 2026
Following the grain from top to bottom, wipe the shutters with the damp cloth, gently scrubbing any stains.

— Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 4 Aug. 2026

Definition of scrubbing

Verb

How to Check Store-Bought Flowers to Prevent Pests Wang recommends rinsing bouquets with water before displaying them to help remove any pests that may be hiding within the flowers.

— Jamie Cuccinelli, Martha Stewart, 4 Aug. 2026
While occasionally rinsing with cold water may have some benefits, using very hot or cold water to wash your face can lead to dry, irritated skin.

— Sherri Gordon, HEALTH, 3 Aug. 2026

Definition of rinsing

Verb

Rather than brushing off the mistaken critique, museum staff decided to lean into the joke.

— Jordan Greene, PEOPLE, 28 July 2026
Canales has compared switching sides on the offensive line to brushing your teeth opposite-handed, which Freeling agreed was an appropriate analogy.

— Joseph Person, New York Times, 27 July 2026

Definition of brushing

Verb

Westerheide said that since the review, the county has repeatedly tried to remove dogs before cleaning kennels, but staff haven’t been able to find somewhere to keep them during the process.

— Lucas Robinson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 Aug. 2026
Daily and routine cleaning should include cleaning your portafilter, group head, and steam wand.

— Better Homes & Gardens, Better Homes & Gardens, 2 Aug. 2026

Definition of cleaning

Verb

Martin, who says she has been intrigued by New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, says so many voters are just struggling to get by and are hungry for sweeping change.

— Sam Gringlas, NPR, 1 Aug. 2026
The Sox lost to the Nationals the day after the text was sent, then ripped off 15 in a row, sweeping the Angels, White Sox, and Mets.

— Peter Chawaga, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2026

Definition of sweeping

Verb

Despite Han Solo's protestations to the contrary, travelling faster than light on screen is usually just as straightforward as dusting crops.

— Richard Edwards, Space.com, 1 Aug. 2026
To clean lampshades, Cruz recommends dusting with a lint roller or using soft-brush vacuum attachments on your vacuum.

— Louise Parks, Martha Stewart, 27 July 2026

Definition of dusting

Verb

During pre-deployment cybersecurity testing, three Anthropic models gained unauthorized access to production systems belonging to outside organizations, and the company disclosed it on July 30 after combing through 141,006 evaluation runs.

— Jon Markman, Forbes.com, 2 Aug. 2026
Sunday morning, federal agents could be seen alongside local and state police combing through the In-N-Out parking lot.

— Mark Dee, Idaho Statesman, 2 Aug. 2026

Definition of combing

Verb

Besides Instagram hustling and scouring job boards, entrepreneurial editors find gigs when creators call out for help.

— Andrew Zucker, HollywoodReporter, 7 Aug. 2026
With the earnings season underway, investors scouring through financial results looking for clues to companies’ growth outlook.

— Justina Lee, CNBC, 5 Aug. 2026

Definition of scouring

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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swabbies

swabbing

swabs

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“Swabbing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/swabbing. Accessed 10 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of swabbing

verb

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