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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of swabs
Andrew Yockey, The Conversation, 11 Sep. 2025
Such systems mine a vast array of information — texts, calls, payments, flights, video, DNA swabs, mail deliveries, the internet, even water and power use — to unearth individuals deemed suspicious and predict their behavior.
—Sheryl Estrada, Fortune, 9 Sep. 2025
In the wound care section, a selection of bandages, dressings, and medical tape, along with antiseptic wipes, alcohol swabs, triple antibiotic ointment, and two manuals (one for dogs and one for people) is available.
—Olivia Young, Travel + Leisure, 2 Sep. 2025
Furthermore, as at-home diagnostics expand, patients will increasingly rely on genAI to interpret results from cancer screenings (colon and cervical), infectious disease swabs (COVID-19, STIs) and other clinical tests.
—Robert Pearl, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2025
Forensic swabs were collected during the exam and have been submitted to the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension for testing and analysis; results are pending.
—Nick Ferraro, Twin Cities, 15 Aug. 2025
The duties of some will also include taking DNA swabs, photographs and fingerprints of people held at ICE facilities, according to a defense official speaking on condition of anonymity.
—Bart Jansen, USA Today, 13 Aug. 2025
There’s a prototype robot, developed by the Chinese Academy of Sciences, to remotely collect oropharyngeal swabs from patients for testing, so a medical worker doesn’t have to directly swab the patient.
—IEEE Spectrum, 20 Mar. 2020
Verb
New testing tools, like saliva swabs and eye-tracking, are being developed, but are not yet ready for application in real-life scenarios.
—Andrew Yockey, The Conversation, 11 Sep. 2025
Such systems mine a vast array of information — texts, calls, payments, flights, video, DNA swabs, mail deliveries, the internet, even water and power use — to unearth individuals deemed suspicious and predict their behavior.
—Sheryl Estrada, Fortune, 9 Sep. 2025
In the wound care section, a selection of bandages, dressings, and medical tape, along with antiseptic wipes, alcohol swabs, triple antibiotic ointment, and two manuals (one for dogs and one for people) is available.
—Olivia Young, Travel + Leisure, 2 Sep. 2025
Furthermore, as at-home diagnostics expand, patients will increasingly rely on genAI to interpret results from cancer screenings (colon and cervical), infectious disease swabs (COVID-19, STIs) and other clinical tests.
—Robert Pearl, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2025
Forensic swabs were collected during the exam and have been submitted to the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension for testing and analysis; results are pending.
—Nick Ferraro, Twin Cities, 15 Aug. 2025
The duties of some will also include taking DNA swabs, photographs and fingerprints of people held at ICE facilities, according to a defense official speaking on condition of anonymity.
—Bart Jansen, USA Today, 13 Aug. 2025
There’s a prototype robot, developed by the Chinese Academy of Sciences, to remotely collect oropharyngeal swabs from patients for testing, so a medical worker doesn’t have to directly swab the patient.
—IEEE Spectrum, 20 Mar. 2020
Recent Examples of Synonyms for swabs
Noun
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Old Baldy has guided sailors since 1817 and is now a tourist site that includes a keeper's cottage with museum exhibits.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
9 Sep. 2025
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Where at one time soldiers and sailors made do with fluttering flags or flashes of light to send simple messages, the modern warfighter is part of a global digital network where data rushes about like water out of a firehose and satellites act as a vital link in that network.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
6 Sep. 2025
Noun
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While this may cause some disruptions for those located along the northern shorelines and nearby mariners, land impacts will be to a lesser extent with the current path compared to a direct track into the Big Island.—
Joe Edwards,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 Sep. 2025
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In their campaign so far, the Houthis have sunk four vessels and killed at least eight mariners.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
8 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Despite the mess in her apartment, the man, like everyone else in her life, brushes off her fears as the exaggerations of an overactive imagination.—
Marya E. Gates,
IndieWire,
9 Sep. 2025
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Fog brushes the bluffs like a tide turned into vapor.—
Lauren Mowery,
Forbes.com,
8 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Designed to help European navigators at sea, the map distorted landmasses by enlarging regions near the poles such as North America and Greenland while shrinking Africa and South America.—
Jason Ma,
Fortune,
23 Aug. 2025
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Bob had to be valiant, dictatorial, curious, ever listening, wily, playful, deluded, strategic, flirtatious, fallible, political, and willing to protect and persevere against all doubters, critics, compass navigators, naysayers well intentioned or not.—
Walden Green,
Pitchfork,
19 Aug. 2025
Verb
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As the government scrubs websites, formerly reliable sources of information have disappeared.—
Judy Stone,
Forbes.com,
13 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Trails remain accessible, wildlife is still active and early snow dusts the surrounding Chugach Mountains.—
Allison Palmer,
Sacbee.com,
2 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The operations in Boston and Chicago are modeled after the June immigration sweeps in Los Angeles.—
Taylor Romine,
CNN Money,
11 Sep. 2025
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The council vote came a day after the Supreme Court’s conservative majority lifted a restraining order issued by a lower court that prohibited federal agents conducting immigration sweeps from stopping people based solely on their race, language, job or location.—
Sierra Lopez,
Mercury News,
11 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The vacuum has a fluffy optic cleaner head that not only cleans but also polishes hard floors.—
Yelena Moroz Alpert,
Architectural Digest,
3 Sep. 2025
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As Lorne Michaels cleans house following the milestone 50th season of Saturday Night Live, one cast alum is shocked at mass exodus.—
Glenn Garner,
Deadline,
28 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Swabs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/swabs. Accessed 17 Sep. 2025.
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