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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Recent Examples of swabs
Nick Ferraro, Twin Cities, 27 May 2026
Prosecutors said a rape kit collected during Kepner’s autopsy included vaginal swabs that tested positive for male DNA, and one swab also tested positive for sperm.
—Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, FOXNews.com, 27 May 2026
Two labs in the Netherlands processed Kornfeld’s swabs; one lab reported a negative result, and the other reported a faint positive.
—Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 15 May 2026
To identify the closest possible match, genetic material extracted from the remains was compared with Y-chromosome DNA, as well as mitochondrial DNA that is only passed on by females within the maternal line, in the cheek swabs provided by descendants.
—Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 12 May 2026
She was transported to a hospital, and vaginal swabs were collected for DNA evidence.
—Charlotte Observer, 29 Apr. 2026
Four health workers went door to door with suitcases full of swabs and vials.
—Chris Bowling, ProPublica, 15 Apr. 2026
In response to one question, Duross noted that the UV light used doesn’t show the specific type of bodily fluids that are present, and that is determined when the evidence swabs are tested at the lab.
—Amy McDaniel, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 10 Apr. 2026
The kit included taking swabs for DNA.
—Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 3 Apr. 2026
Noun
Fingerprints lifted off the window matched 25-year-old Eduart Gomez Ochoa, as did DNA swabs from the teen’s foot and a winter hat the suspect left behind, according to a criminal complaint filed against him Tuesday in Ramsey County District Court.
—Nick Ferraro, Twin Cities, 27 May 2026
Prosecutors said a rape kit collected during Kepner’s autopsy included vaginal swabs that tested positive for male DNA, and one swab also tested positive for sperm.
—Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, FOXNews.com, 27 May 2026
Two labs in the Netherlands processed Kornfeld’s swabs; one lab reported a negative result, and the other reported a faint positive.
—Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 15 May 2026
To identify the closest possible match, genetic material extracted from the remains was compared with Y-chromosome DNA, as well as mitochondrial DNA that is only passed on by females within the maternal line, in the cheek swabs provided by descendants.
—Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 12 May 2026
She was transported to a hospital, and vaginal swabs were collected for DNA evidence.
—Charlotte Observer, 29 Apr. 2026
Four health workers went door to door with suitcases full of swabs and vials.
—Chris Bowling, ProPublica, 15 Apr. 2026
In response to one question, Duross noted that the UV light used doesn’t show the specific type of bodily fluids that are present, and that is determined when the evidence swabs are tested at the lab.
—Amy McDaniel, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 10 Apr. 2026
The kit included taking swabs for DNA.
—Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 3 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for swabs
Noun
-
Female officers say the unprecedented intervention signals a political ceiling on their careers, deepening fears about retaliation, unequal opportunity and the message sent to younger sailors considering long-term service.—
Konstantin Toropin,
Los Angeles Times,
7 June 2026
-
Those sailors were exonerated 80 years later by former Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro, who was in the audience Saturday.—
Gary Robbins,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
7 June 2026
Noun
-
This included 500 years of Black mariners in fishing, sailing, surfing and whaling.—
Abby Hamblin,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
1 June 2026
-
The system, called WhaleSpotter, scans the bay around the clock for whale blows and heat signatures up to 2 nautical miles away, alerting mariners to slow down or reroute when whales are nearby.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
20 May 2026
Verb
-
Bryce Harper, star slugger, the Phillie Phanatic's best friend, and baseball hero to children of all ages, brushes his teeth.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
28 May 2026
-
These stocks have climbed for weeks as the market brushes off the narrative that AI is a threat to the cybersecurity industry.—
Morgan Chittum,Matthew J. Belvedere,
CNBC,
27 May 2026
Noun
-
Community health workers, patient navigators and care management teams should be proactively identifying high-risk Medicaid patients with chronic medical issues.—
Jesse Pines,
Forbes.com,
6 June 2026
-
Most insurance plans cover antivenom, and uninsured patients may be able to discount costs with help from financial navigators at UNC and UNC Health’s Financial Assistance Program for medically necessary services.—
Eva Flowe
June 1,
Charlotte Observer,
1 June 2026
Verb
-
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
-
After his teenage son goes missing, Daniel combs the depths of the Vistula River day and night, caught in a grueling, endless routine and torn between the dread of a fatal leap and the fragile hope that his son may still be alive.—
Matthew Carey,
Deadline,
6 May 2026
-
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
Verb
-
Prime lips for a perfectly smooth, even application using the 3-in-1 Lip Scrub pen, which gently scrubs away dead skin with super-fine sugar granules and keeps lips hydrated with nourishing shea butter and algae.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
19 May 2026
-
Anti-dictatorship, but for kids Serkis scrubs the story of its violence, at least in any graphic manner.—
Clare Mulroy,
USA Today,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
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
-
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 10 Jun. 2026.
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