as in cocky
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1
as in boasting
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
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in strutting
to walk with exaggerated arm and leg movements
hoping to impress the women at the bar, the young man confidently swaggered across the room
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Recent Examples of swaggering
Harry Cheadle, Bon Appetit Magazine, 27 May 2026
From Sean Connery to Timothy Dalton to Daniel Craig, there’s been many iterations of the swaggering international super spy but none that showcase his humble beginnings until now.
—Destiny Jackson, Deadline, 26 May 2026
Sandbox, their first album in more than 14 years, is a swaggering reminder of that 2000s alt-rock dominance, all the more authentic with the passing of time.
—Air Mail, 16 May 2026
Max Clayton also makes a strong impression as Danny Bailey, a swaggering leading man modeled after Carousel’s Billy Bigelow and portrayed on the series by Aaron Tveit.
—Dave Quinn, PEOPLE, 21 Apr. 2026
The notion of the swaggering state swallowing a chunk of its resistant neighbor is completely far-fetched.
—Mark Z. Barabak, Mercury News, 14 Apr. 2026
The notion of the swaggering state swallowing a chunk of its resistant neighbor is completely far-fetched.
—Los Angeles Times, 8 Apr. 2026
Chris Robinson is a bit bemused at the idea of a column being dedicated to legacy musicians, even if his own band, the Black Crowes, released their swaggering debut album 36 years ago and are now eligible for induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
—Devon Ivie, Vulture, 19 Mar. 2026
With her friend Danielle Siggerud, an architect based in Copenhagen, Calderone and her team at Studio Athena Calderone made respectful updates to the swaggering floor plan.
—Sarah Medford, Architectural Digest, 10 Mar. 2026
Sam Stone, Bon Appetit Magazine, 12 May 2026
The advertisement opened with a backside shot of a man clothed in Levi’s jeans, a western shirt and leather gloves, swaggering up to a pair of saloon doors.
—Jack Armstrong, USA Today, 15 Apr. 2026
Don the swaggering employee needs to learn a lesson about gender identity.
—Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 15 Mar. 2026
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
The timing of such self-reflection was notable, on the direct horizon of an AFC divisional-round matchup against a Bills team that’ll require calls-to-the-wall swaggering from Payton.
—Luca Evans, Denver Post, 16 Jan. 2026
This skinny kid from Norman, Oklahoma, swaggering up and down the court.
—Tyler Estep, AJC.com, 9 Jan. 2026
Die a hero, or live long enough to become Gen Z’s swaggering grandfather.
—Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 28 Dec. 2025
Adjective
Don’t skip a visit to the rooftop deck, which affords swaggering views of the market’s massive ferris wheel, the downtown skyline, and ferries to nearby islands.
—Harry Cheadle, Bon Appetit Magazine, 27 May 2026
From Sean Connery to Timothy Dalton to Daniel Craig, there’s been many iterations of the swaggering international super spy but none that showcase his humble beginnings until now.
—Destiny Jackson, Deadline, 26 May 2026
Sandbox, their first album in more than 14 years, is a swaggering reminder of that 2000s alt-rock dominance, all the more authentic with the passing of time.
—Air Mail, 16 May 2026
Max Clayton also makes a strong impression as Danny Bailey, a swaggering leading man modeled after Carousel’s Billy Bigelow and portrayed on the series by Aaron Tveit.
—Dave Quinn, PEOPLE, 21 Apr. 2026
The notion of the swaggering state swallowing a chunk of its resistant neighbor is completely far-fetched.
—Mark Z. Barabak, Mercury News, 14 Apr. 2026
The notion of the swaggering state swallowing a chunk of its resistant neighbor is completely far-fetched.
—Los Angeles Times, 8 Apr. 2026
Chris Robinson is a bit bemused at the idea of a column being dedicated to legacy musicians, even if his own band, the Black Crowes, released their swaggering debut album 36 years ago and are now eligible for induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
—Devon Ivie, Vulture, 19 Mar. 2026
With her friend Danielle Siggerud, an architect based in Copenhagen, Calderone and her team at Studio Athena Calderone made respectful updates to the swaggering floor plan.
—Sarah Medford, Architectural Digest, 10 Mar. 2026
Verb
After all those swaggering herbal notes faded, tasters said Roku finished with breezy floral qualities—lavender and rose.
—Sam Stone, Bon Appetit Magazine, 12 May 2026
The advertisement opened with a backside shot of a man clothed in Levi’s jeans, a western shirt and leather gloves, swaggering up to a pair of saloon doors.
—Jack Armstrong, USA Today, 15 Apr. 2026
Don the swaggering employee needs to learn a lesson about gender identity.
—Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 15 Mar. 2026
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
The timing of such self-reflection was notable, on the direct horizon of an AFC divisional-round matchup against a Bills team that’ll require calls-to-the-wall swaggering from Payton.
—Luca Evans, Denver Post, 16 Jan. 2026
This skinny kid from Norman, Oklahoma, swaggering up and down the court.
—Tyler Estep, AJC.com, 9 Jan. 2026
Die a hero, or live long enough to become Gen Z’s swaggering grandfather.
—Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 28 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for swaggering
Adjective
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In the show, shy Briar U music major Hannah Wells (Ella Bright) and cocky team captain Garrett Graham (Belmont Cameli) begin fake-dating to try to catch the attention of Hannah’s crush.—
Bailey Bujnosek,
InStyle,
28 May 2026
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Because a young, cocky Assistant District Attorney, Thad Longfellow (Ward Horton) wants to oust her as the District Attorney — and is willing to throw mud in order to do it.—
Randall Colburn,
Entertainment Weekly,
23 May 2026
Verb
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From June through September—when Seattle summer days are long, warm, and humidity-free, head up early to secure a view-boasting chaise near the water.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
2 June 2026
-
Tokyo is famously the reigning king of Michelin cities, boasting 210 stars across 194 restaurants.—
Jessica Kozuka,
Travel + Leisure,
1 June 2026
Verb
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The current high price of gasoline, thanks to the Iran entanglement, certainly won’t deter owners and collectors from strutting their stuff.—
Charles Selle,
Chicago Tribune,
1 June 2026
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Videos and images from the show depicted humanoid robots strutting down the catwalk, posing beside models, and performing synchronized choreography.—
Kaif Shaikh,
Interesting Engineering,
30 May 2026
Adjective
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In addition to Galitzine, Idris Elba gets to chew on scenery and a redemption arc as Teela’s battle-ready dad Man-At-Arms, and Jared Leto pulls off his most enjoyable role in years, melding bombastic theatricality and bad-boss vibes as Skeletor.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
2 June 2026
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In another era, Pratt would have been a welcome edition to the roster of bombastic Southern California preachers a la Aimee Semple McPherson, Chuck Smith and Gene Scott, as well as radio titans such as George Putnam and John Kobylt.—
Gustavo Arellano,
Los Angeles Times,
30 May 2026
Verb
-
But other evidence, including video and text messages of the officer bragging about the shooting, bolstered Martinez’s account and a judge dismissed the federal charges against her.—
Zoe Sottile,
CNN Money,
29 May 2026
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Even without the original home still standing, the Hollywood connection gives the property a certain bragging-rights appeal.—
Abby Montanez,
Robb Report,
19 May 2026
Verb
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Some don’t have any visible Ferrari branding at all – much as how, minus its prancing horses, the Luce doesn’t share much of its maker’s DNA.—
Alistair Charlton,
Forbes.com,
26 May 2026
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Connecticut’s top Banana will be dancing and prancing from the ballpark to the ballroom.—
Dom Amore,
Hartford Courant,
13 May 2026
Adjective
-
Chatter about Azik’s famous delens abounds, as does boastful talk about how Monica Bellucci’s family hails from the same part of Nalchik.—
David Ehrlich,
IndieWire,
13 May 2026
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Despite Netanyahu’s boastful statement, a series of nationwide polls last week found that most Israelis do not believe the US and Israel won the war against Iran.—
Dalia Abdelwahab,
CNN Money,
11 Apr. 2026
Verb
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At the French Open Tuesday, the four-time Grand Slam champion staged an outfit reveal once again, striding out for her first-round match against Germany’s Laura Siegemund wearing a black corset and matching pleated, cascading skirt that skimmed over the clay.—
Ava Wallace,
New York Times,
28 May 2026
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Powell McCormick, who seems to be one of the busiest women on the planet, is up and striding off to her next appointment.—
Ellie Austin,
Fortune,
27 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Swaggering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/swaggering. Accessed 6 Jun. 2026.
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