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
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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
Dave Hyde, Sun Sentinel, 7 Feb. 2026
But the dudes can take a victory lap today, celebrating the nomination of Joseph Kosinski’s swaggering, vroom-vroom sports movie.
—Glenn Whipp, Los Angeles Times, 22 Jan. 2026
Decades later, times may have changed, but the appeal of that swaggering style endures.
—Mark Ellwood, Robb Report, 20 Jan. 2026
And her co-stars—Jacob Elordi as a brooding Heathcliff, Alison Oliver as an angelic Isabella Linton, Hong Chau as a steely Nelly Dean, and Shazad Latif as a swaggering Edgar Linton—would also be subverting our expectations.
—Radhika Seth, Vogue, 10 Jan. 2026
Rossein figured the book — a 1974 memoir of a swaggering Jewish table tennis savant named Marty Reisman in mid-century New York — might interest her husband, the filmmaker Josh Safdie.
—Julien Levy, Rolling Stone, 27 Dec. 2025
Needless to say, Farrell’s swaggering performance in Minority Report launched his career and was soon followed by major roles in Phone Booth, Daredevil and Alexander.
—James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 29 Oct. 2025
Their mother began a relationship with a swaggering alcoholic, their future stepfather, who mocked Scott for being soft.
—Eren Orbey, New Yorker, 13 Oct. 2025
His swaggering boots would not come off, actually.
—Caity Weaver, The Atlantic, 8 Oct. 2025
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
Katy Perry was swaggering about in a garish new hat.
—Bethy Squires, Vulture, 28 Nov. 2025
Oscar Isaac‘s Victor Frankenstein is part 18th-century dandy and part swaggering Swinging Sixties rock star, as if Lord Byron had been genetically spliced with Brian Jones.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 9 Sep. 2025
On it, Sombr elevates the bedroom pop of his earlier work, giving it a more muscular, swaggering sound.
—Steven J. Horowitz, Variety, 22 Aug. 2025
With that, the trio of Joe, Nick and Kevin Jonas come swaggering and smiling from the wings, strolling to the tip of a catwalk together, the professional differences that splintered their brotherly union for a spell neatly compartmentalized for 2 ½-hours of polished pop digested by adoring fans.
—Melissa Ruggieri, USA Today, 13 Aug. 2025
Adjective
Nor are the stars the coaches, though both the Seahawks’ second-year coach Mike Macdonald and Mike Vrabel in his first with the Patriots have shown their swaggering talent.
—Dave Hyde, Sun Sentinel, 7 Feb. 2026
But the dudes can take a victory lap today, celebrating the nomination of Joseph Kosinski’s swaggering, vroom-vroom sports movie.
—Glenn Whipp, Los Angeles Times, 22 Jan. 2026
Decades later, times may have changed, but the appeal of that swaggering style endures.
—Mark Ellwood, Robb Report, 20 Jan. 2026
And her co-stars—Jacob Elordi as a brooding Heathcliff, Alison Oliver as an angelic Isabella Linton, Hong Chau as a steely Nelly Dean, and Shazad Latif as a swaggering Edgar Linton—would also be subverting our expectations.
—Radhika Seth, Vogue, 10 Jan. 2026
Rossein figured the book — a 1974 memoir of a swaggering Jewish table tennis savant named Marty Reisman in mid-century New York — might interest her husband, the filmmaker Josh Safdie.
—Julien Levy, Rolling Stone, 27 Dec. 2025
Needless to say, Farrell’s swaggering performance in Minority Report launched his career and was soon followed by major roles in Phone Booth, Daredevil and Alexander.
—James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 29 Oct. 2025
Their mother began a relationship with a swaggering alcoholic, their future stepfather, who mocked Scott for being soft.
—Eren Orbey, New Yorker, 13 Oct. 2025
His swaggering boots would not come off, actually.
—Caity Weaver, The Atlantic, 8 Oct. 2025
Verb
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
Katy Perry was swaggering about in a garish new hat.
—Bethy Squires, Vulture, 28 Nov. 2025
Oscar Isaac‘s Victor Frankenstein is part 18th-century dandy and part swaggering Swinging Sixties rock star, as if Lord Byron had been genetically spliced with Brian Jones.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 9 Sep. 2025
On it, Sombr elevates the bedroom pop of his earlier work, giving it a more muscular, swaggering sound.
—Steven J. Horowitz, Variety, 22 Aug. 2025
With that, the trio of Joe, Nick and Kevin Jonas come swaggering and smiling from the wings, strolling to the tip of a catwalk together, the professional differences that splintered their brotherly union for a spell neatly compartmentalized for 2 ½-hours of polished pop digested by adoring fans.
—Melissa Ruggieri, USA Today, 13 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for swaggering
Adjective
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Bassel stands at the center of the frame, looking cocky and slightly bored, with his parents seated in front of him and his siblings on either side.—
Robert F. Worth,
The Atlantic,
6 Feb. 2026
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Their roles are reversed when O’Brien’s cocky, young CEO must look to McAdams’ strategic planning and survival know-how to stay alive.—
Jordan Moreau,
Variety,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Named after the 19th-Century Foreign Secretary and Prime Minister Viscount Palmerston, the cat quickly garnered a large online fanbase, boasting nearly 100,000 followers as of Tuesday who closely tracked his adventures across Westminster.—
Lex Harvey,
CNN Money,
17 Feb. 2026
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Martha guides you step-by-step through the preparation of the perfect roast chicken, boasting crispy bronzed skin and succulent meat that’s equally tender and juicy throughout the white meat as well as the dark.—
Jennifer Anderson,
Martha Stewart,
17 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Just days after strutting down the runway at New York Fashion Week, Ratajkowski gave fans a glimpse of her off-duty uniform in a campaign with workout gear brand Oner Active.—
Lara Walsh,
InStyle,
17 Feb. 2026
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Find out where the champs are now strutting their stuff.—
James Mercadante,
Entertainment Weekly,
17 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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There’s been a quiet but persuasive strain of Americana threading through NYFW, not the bombastic, flag-waving kind, but something more intimate and lived-in.—
Lisa Lockwood,
Footwear News,
17 Feb. 2026
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Williams turns his ear for propulsive and bombastic melodies onto traditional Japanese instrumentation, creating a work that sways between gentle, meditative themes for the titular geisha (Ziyi) and heart-pounding selections to fill out her chaotic, tragic life.—
Alex Galbraith,
Entertainment Weekly,
15 Feb. 2026
Verb
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California has regained its bragging-rights ranking as the world’s fourth-largest economy.—
Jonathan Lansner,
Oc Register,
15 Feb. 2026
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Some of Exum’s text messages to co-workers bragging about his marksmanship have already been published in court.—
Jason Meisner,
Chicago Tribune,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Photos shared by the agency show Buddy prancing away in the daylight, as well as Buddy seemingly caught like a deer in headlights at night.—
Brian Anthony Hernandez,
PEOPLE,
8 Dec. 2025
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Ferrari’s latest one-off is a tribute to one of the most legendary prancing horses of them all.—
Bryan Hood,
Robb Report,
20 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
The two boastful half-brothers clashed and split.—
Gail Sheehy,
Vanity Fair,
20 Feb. 2026
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Over time, some officers showed a boastful disdain for parts of the population they were expected to protect.—
Rob Picheta,
CNN Money,
7 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Mercury is striding into your public 10th house, boosting your visibility and encouraging you to offer updates that show your strengths without oversharing.—
Tarot.com,
New York Daily News,
6 Feb. 2026
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The film opens to Melania leaving Mar-a-Lago professionally dressed and made up, striding atop towering stilettos.—
Elizabeth Spiers,
Washington Post,
4 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Swaggering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/swaggering. Accessed 25 Feb. 2026.
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