1
as in to boast
to praise or express pride in one's own possessions, qualities, or accomplishments often to excess
I, too, would swagger if I'd won first place in the bowling tournament
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to strut
to walk with exaggerated arm and leg movements
hoping to impress the women at the bar, the young man confidently swaggered across the room
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in chic
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
as in bravado
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of swagger
Ken Simmons, Entertainment Weekly, 12 Mar. 2026
Two swaggering outlaws roll into a mining town and unleash a wave of cruelty.
—Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 20 Jan. 2026
Guy Lodge, Variety, 14 Mar. 2026
Stella crossed the street and loitered outside the store window displaying haughty mannequins flaunting swagger coats.
—Literary Hub, 13 Mar. 2026
Alaa Elassar, CNN Money, 13 June 2026
Ford is sexy, full of posturing and swagger.
—Dave Schilling
contributing
follow, Los Angeles Times, 9 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for swagger
Verb
And Jordan's performances as Smoke and Stack are indeed confident and distinctive, not just in their different sartorial choices but in their mannerisms, with the actor excelling at portraying both Smoke's stoic practicality and Stack's swaggering charm.
—Ken Simmons, Entertainment Weekly, 12 Mar. 2026
Two swaggering outlaws roll into a mining town and unleash a wave of cruelty.
—Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 20 Jan. 2026
Adjective
But the sheer relentlessness of its joke-cracking bodes well for future, riskier enterprises — as, for that matter, does the natural spark between Matarazzo’s repeatedly foiled would-be swagger and Giambrone’s disarming mama’s-boy act.
—Guy Lodge, Variety, 14 Mar. 2026
Stella crossed the street and loitered outside the store window displaying haughty mannequins flaunting swagger coats.
—Literary Hub, 13 Mar. 2026
Noun
Back then, New York was a city running on equal parts swagger and anxiety.
—Alaa Elassar, CNN Money, 13 June 2026
Ford is sexy, full of posturing and swagger.
—Dave Schilling
contributing
follow, Los Angeles Times, 9 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for swagger
Recent Examples of Synonyms for swagger
Verb
-
Also, the lower Guadalupe River begins at the Canyon Lake dam and winds through the Texas Hill Country to New Braunfels, allowing plenty of opportunities to rent a tube and float your way down the river, which also boasts beautiful water.—
Kaitlyn Yarborough,
Southern Living,
16 June 2026
-
Early data from the platform already reveals a massive spike in user engagement, boasting double the typical conversion rates and tripled time spent on site.—
Arthur Zaczkiewicz,
Footwear News,
16 June 2026
Verb
-
Buffy the Vampire Slayer alum Sarah Michelle Gellar strutted in the purple platform boots of the fashionable and upbeat Daphne Blake in both live-action Scooby-Doo flicks.—
Declan Gallagher,
Entertainment Weekly,
14 June 2026
-
This year is yet another for the World Cup; Yu Masui and Takeji Hirakawa are still strutting their stuff, and Phil Oh, along with Acielle Tanbetova, will be documenting all the off-the-runway action.—
Irene Kim,
Vogue,
13 June 2026
Adjective
-
Practical, yet effortlessly chic this cotton and silk jacket has the sporty look of an anorak, but the materiality to work with dressy looks.—
Aemilia Madden,
Vogue,
18 June 2026
-
Then check out this chic vest top, made from a lightweight cotton-linen blend material.—
Caroline Hughes,
Travel + Leisure,
17 June 2026
Noun
-
All are crucial to retaining the brand’s distinctive sartorial bravado.—
Rachel Ingram,
Robb Report,
14 June 2026
-
The $60 million spectacle is the culmination of a decades-long relationship between a president and a sport that harnessed bravado to reach America’s most prominent address.—
Zac Anderson,
USA Today,
12 June 2026
Verb
-
Goldberg was obsessive about using original materials, apparently bragging to neighbors about outbidding Martha Stewart on a set of tiles at auction.—
Jesse Armas,
Curbed,
16 June 2026
-
Delivering epic news to your Chinese American family and friends looks nothing like those American families on TV that gas you up, throw you a party, and brag to all their friends.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
16 June 2026
Verb
-
My mother, sometimes still talking to him, used to stride off into the distance on the clicker and had to wait for him then, furious.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
17 June 2026
-
Nick Sirianni strides across the asphalt at a breezy pace, seemingly as serene as an on-the-job NFL head coach can ever be.—
Michael Silver,
New York Times,
16 June 2026
Adjective
-
The thick belt has a sleek buckle that resembles this Quince version, which is made from 100-percent leather with solid metal hardware.—
Rachel Trujillo,
PEOPLE,
22 June 2026
-
From airy mesh fabrics to sleek, low-profile shapes, this season’s trending shoes have a way of elevating an outfit without overpowering it.—
Julia Morlino,
Travel + Leisure,
21 June 2026
Noun
-
Aerion Targaryen Aerion Targaryen (Finn Bennett), also known as Aerion Brightflame, is a volatile and cruel Targaryen prince infamous for his arrogance and violent behavior.—
Skyler Trepel,
PEOPLE,
22 June 2026
-
Why does confidence read as passion for a white athlete, but as arrogance for a Black one?—
Brielle Miller,
Baltimore Sun,
16 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Swagger.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/swagger. Accessed 22 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
