as in sailors
one who operates or navigates a seagoing vessel
old swabs swapping sea stories as they spend their last days in the veterans' home
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Recent Examples of swabs
Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA Today, 30 Mar. 2026
Public health experts use various methods of surveillance to track variants, including testing samples of wastewater, collecting voluntary nasal swabs from travelers, and reviewing viral samples collected from patients by doctors and hospitals.
—Dallas Morning News, 27 Mar. 2026
Legal search for answers Court filings show the Police Department previously received a subpoena to allow for the inspection of evidence collected at the crime scene, including a bullet fragment, blood swabs and articles of clothing worn by Jane Doe.
—Sam Charles, Chicago Tribune, 25 Mar. 2026
Sticky pads/swabs to remove debris without leaving residue Sticky pads, also called sensor cleaning pads, use a gentle adhesive surface to lift debris from the sensor without leaving a residue.
—Jacob Little, Space.com, 12 Mar. 2026
To finish up, Dana needs internal and external vaginal swabs, additional swabs in Ilana’s mouth, and then offers meds and information regarding STIs and pregnancy.
—Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 27 Feb. 2026
There are photos taken of bruises and black lights to detect bodily fluids, wet and dry swabs, specialized containers to store all of it that only Dana can touch.
—Judy Berman, Time, 27 Feb. 2026
Dana next swabs Ilana’s mouth — the inside of her cheek and along the gum line — and her finger nails.
—Tribune News Service, Baltimore Sun, 23 Feb. 2026
Attorneys for Clare also sought to suppress mouth swabs collected from Clare and items taken by authorities from his home, including a phone and computer, but that motion was denied by the judge.
—Gabriella Ybarra, San Antonio Express-News, 20 Feb. 2026
Noun
The variant was also present in samples from travelers' voluntary nose swabs.
—Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA Today, 30 Mar. 2026
Public health experts use various methods of surveillance to track variants, including testing samples of wastewater, collecting voluntary nasal swabs from travelers, and reviewing viral samples collected from patients by doctors and hospitals.
—Dallas Morning News, 27 Mar. 2026
Legal search for answers Court filings show the Police Department previously received a subpoena to allow for the inspection of evidence collected at the crime scene, including a bullet fragment, blood swabs and articles of clothing worn by Jane Doe.
—Sam Charles, Chicago Tribune, 25 Mar. 2026
Sticky pads/swabs to remove debris without leaving residue Sticky pads, also called sensor cleaning pads, use a gentle adhesive surface to lift debris from the sensor without leaving a residue.
—Jacob Little, Space.com, 12 Mar. 2026
To finish up, Dana needs internal and external vaginal swabs, additional swabs in Ilana’s mouth, and then offers meds and information regarding STIs and pregnancy.
—Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 27 Feb. 2026
There are photos taken of bruises and black lights to detect bodily fluids, wet and dry swabs, specialized containers to store all of it that only Dana can touch.
—Judy Berman, Time, 27 Feb. 2026
Dana next swabs Ilana’s mouth — the inside of her cheek and along the gum line — and her finger nails.
—Tribune News Service, Baltimore Sun, 23 Feb. 2026
Attorneys for Clare also sought to suppress mouth swabs collected from Clare and items taken by authorities from his home, including a phone and computer, but that motion was denied by the judge.
—Gabriella Ybarra, San Antonio Express-News, 20 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for swabs
Noun
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These items provide a direct connection to the ordinary sailors who fought and died aboard the Dannebroge, not just the officers whose belongings typically survive in museum collections.—
Samantha Agate,
Kansas City Star,
5 Apr. 2026
-
Shoes and fragments of clothing, and various small items the sailors would have carried with them—clay pipes, uniform insignia, and weapons.—
Samantha Agate,
Miami Herald,
5 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
At least 12 incidents involving vessels around the strait have been confirmed since fighting began, according to two global trackers, and at least seven mariners have been killed.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
12 Mar. 2026
-
In recent research, my colleagues and I interviewed professional mariners about their experiences with cyber incidents and their preparedness to respond to them.—
Anna Raymaker,
The Conversation,
12 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Tokyo Stylez, Cardi’s hairstylist, brushes out a sleek brown hairpiece, and Erika la’ pearl, her makeup artist, dabs at Cardi’s face while the rapper scrolls through her phone, controlling the music.—
Jazmine Hughes,
Allure,
24 Mar. 2026
-
When some chime in to say their doctors had been cautiously optimistic about treatments, Sarah brushes that aside.—
Gerald Witt,
AJC.com,
1 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Connecting with financial counselors, patient navigators and care coordinators could help young patients on public insurance or those who lack insurance navigate the system.—
Rhonda Winegar,
Fortune,
1 Apr. 2026
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So traditional navigators like her, who look to the stars, waves and other elements in nature to pilot across the ocean, see the bird's presence as a sign that land is near.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Plus, its self-cleaning function rinses the brushroll after each use and dumps the debris into the dirt tank.—
Sian Babish,
PEOPLE,
5 Apr. 2026
-
Moisture is why LaMarita never rinses cauliflower before tucking it into the crisper.—
Randi Gollin,
Martha Stewart,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Zayas also combs through the dark web, a criminal haven on the internet where anonymous threat actors try to cause real-world harm.—
Heather Abbott,
CBS News,
2 Mar. 2026
-
The panel combs through a variety of influences like film and TV production; art, fashion and design trends; new technologies, materials, textures; and even social media or upcoming sporting events.—
Colson Thayer,
PEOPLE,
4 Dec. 2025
Verb
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If one person always scrubs toilet bowl rings, resentment can build, so try to get ahead of that.—
Mary Cornetta,
Better Homes & Gardens,
22 Feb. 2026
-
Precipitation scrubs the atmosphere clean, picking up pollutants on its way down to the ground.—
Isabel Lopez,
Parents,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Snow sometimes dusts the surrounding slopes, melting by afternoon into damp earth as manzanita and mountain lilac begin to flower.—
Josh Jackson,
Los Angeles Times,
7 Apr. 2026
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To demonstrate, Ejae smiles to form creases below her eyes, then dusts some brown powder onto the area.—
Jenny Berg,
Vogue,
27 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Swabs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/swabs. Accessed 9 Apr. 2026.
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