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
Relevance
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in cocky
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 swaggering
Jp Mangalindan, Time, 15 Aug. 2025
Though long celebrated as one of our most versatile screen stars, four-time Academy Award nominee Willem Dafoe might not seem like the obvious choice to portray a swaggering, playboy billionaire modeled on Greek shipping magnate Aristotle Onassis.
—Christopher Vourlias, Variety, 5 Aug. 2025
Schmitt is easygoing inside the Capitol and a swaggering culture warrior outside of it.
—Burgess Everett, semafor.com, 5 Aug. 2025
Christina Newland, Vulture, 22 Aug. 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
Verb
Advertisement Gudsen's fractured identity—swaggering machismo versus devoted family man—might suggest dissociative identity disorder, but Lehane resists reducing him to a clinical label.
—Jp Mangalindan, Time, 15 Aug. 2025
Though long celebrated as one of our most versatile screen stars, four-time Academy Award nominee Willem Dafoe might not seem like the obvious choice to portray a swaggering, playboy billionaire modeled on Greek shipping magnate Aristotle Onassis.
—Christopher Vourlias, Variety, 5 Aug. 2025
Schmitt is easygoing inside the Capitol and a swaggering culture warrior outside of it.
—Burgess Everett, semafor.com, 5 Aug. 2025
Adjective
With his deathly pallor and Byronic charm, Stamp was perfect as the self-destructive, swaggering scoundrel who is haunted by visions of a spectral little girl.
—Christina Newland, Vulture, 22 Aug. 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
Verb
-
The 94-year-old media titan has ensured that his vast corporate empire — boasting Fox News, the Wall Street Journal and the New York Post among other titles — will retain its quintessential conservative identity after his death.—
David Folkenflik,
NPR,
8 Sep. 2025
-
Sanders has started to follow in her mother's footsteps by modeling, while also boasting a significant following on social media.—
Caroline Blair,
PEOPLE,
8 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Portraying the ghost of Hamlet’s father at the play’s debut, his face and body covered in chalky white paint, his Shakespeare steps through the looking glass and becomes his own tragic player, strutting and fretting his hour upon the stage.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
8 Sep. 2025
-
Anyier Anei is Ada, a newbie model from South Sudan by way of Kenya, wide-eyed and hungry as she’s tossed into a maelstrom of haughty men and clubgoing sisters in strutting.—
Richard Lawson,
IndieWire,
7 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Vinnie Barbarino Was a Standout John Travolta’s Vinnie was known for his cocky swagger and flirtatious antics.—
Marc Berman,
Forbes.com,
9 Sep. 2025
-
Compliments find you with greater ease, too; with Venus, your planetary ruler, now in Leo, your magnetism is louder and your confidence reads as warm, not cocky.—
Dossé-Via Trenou,
Refinery29,
7 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
So, documenting one of his first shows in New York feels less about bragging to your friends online, or even generating a watchable clip, and more about capturing history.—
Jeff Ihaza,
Rolling Stone,
9 Sep. 2025
-
Bronstein says the lines between reality and what appears to be reality are blurred as bragging spills over to personal lives and work, projecting, exaggerating and competing for attention.—
Bryan Robinson,
Forbes.com,
9 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Borderlands 4 is set to be the series' most bombastic and full-featured game yet, and early previews for the game have been very positive so far.—
Oliver Brandt,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 Sep. 2025
-
Frankenstein is loud, bombastic, sublime and silly.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
4 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Daedone, using the hashtags #ErosOnTrial, #EroticJustice, #liberation, and #womenspower, frequently posted on Instagram, showing pictures and slow-motion videos of herself and Cherwitz, often flanked by female OneTaste supporters, striding into the courthouse.—
Thessaly La Force,
New Yorker,
29 Aug. 2025
-
He was also filmed confidently striding up to a group of several other dogs, engaging all of them in a game of chase in the water.—
Melissa Fleur Afshar,
MSNBC Newsweek,
26 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
Being praised too openly can be seen as boastful, even if the employee never asked for the attention.—
Benjamin Laker,
Forbes.com,
26 Aug. 2025
-
But the mob was discreet compared to Trump’s brazen, boastful ways.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
18 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
The documentary, released in September 2025, chronicled the twisty true crime tale of a teenage couple who endured two years of cyberbullying, stalking and harassment from an unknown number.—
Emily Blackwood,
PEOPLE,
11 Sep. 2025
-
According to Today, Kendra was charged with two counts of stalking a minor, two counts of communicating with another to commit a crime and one count of obstruction of justice.—
CT Jones,
Rolling Stone,
10 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Swaggering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/swaggering. Accessed 13 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share