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
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Recent Examples of swaggering
Kevin Jacobsen, Entertainment Weekly, 28 Sep. 2025
Before there was Latin trap, Puerto Rico was transfixed by reggaetón, a swaggering style based on a loping, staccato beat known as dembow, which derives from dancehall reggae.
—Kelefa Sanneh, New Yorker, 15 Sep. 2025
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
David Fear, Rolling Stone, 9 Sep. 2025
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
Verb
Plus, Jude Law brings his movie star charisma as the swaggering pirate captain Jod Na Nawood, who helps the kids find their way back home (for reasons far from mere goodwill).
—Kevin Jacobsen, Entertainment Weekly, 28 Sep. 2025
Before there was Latin trap, Puerto Rico was transfixed by reggaetón, a swaggering style based on a loping, staccato beat known as dembow, which derives from dancehall reggae.
—Kelefa Sanneh, New Yorker, 15 Sep. 2025
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
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
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
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The new rules are a continuation of Hegseth’s crackdown on press access and accommodations in the Pentagon — despite often boasting about transparency.—
Ellen Mitchell,
The Hill,
28 Sep. 2025
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The film has opened to universal praise, with One Battle boasting a 95 Metacritic score and an A CinemaScore.—
Mia Galuppo,
HollywoodReporter,
27 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Hailey Bieber, too, has given the sneaker a seal of approval, strutting around in its ombré, yellow-and-orange version in London while confirming that the trench coat and Nike Shox combo is one worthy of replicating this fall.—
Stacia Datskovska,
Footwear News,
1 Oct. 2025
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Last week, the ‘90s supermodel closed out New York Fashion Week strutting for Coolibar’s Mott50 line of resortwear that also doubles as sunblock.—
Madeleine Marr,
Miami Herald,
26 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Liner is Reid Collins, who toes the line between confident and cocky.—
Rosy Cordero,
Deadline,
22 Sep. 2025
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Since his days as the cocky but lovable Shane Gray in Camp Rock, Joe Jonas has carved out a multifaceted career.—
Allison DeGrushe,
Entertainment Weekly,
19 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Even her mom had let go of her dream of her daughter becoming a nurse, now bragging to her friends that her little girl was working for the NFL.—
Luke Chinman,
PEOPLE,
2 Oct. 2025
-
Freedom of Speech is far more American than a hundred-thousand-dollar-per-plate dinner at Mar-a-Lago or trips to Epstein Island or bullying a network into cancelling Steven Colbert or bragging about having extorted $16 million from a movie studio.—
Billy Ray,
Deadline,
29 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Plus, the icy pastel hues are reminiscent of ballerinas prancing in The Nutcracker.—
Brandi Fuller,
Better Homes & Gardens,
30 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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For viewers who love the wild and bombastic games in Borderland, Saw will be a seriously gripping (and terrifying) franchise to start watching — especially since the traps in Saw often push its victims to some pretty extreme limits, just like in Borderland.—
Keith Langston,
PEOPLE,
27 Sep. 2025
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Opening with the bombastic Foo Fighters-esque title track, Turnstile tore through their 75-minute set with ease.—
Daniel Kohn,
Rolling Stone,
16 Sep. 2025
Verb
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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
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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
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Of course, people make boastful statements of dubious merit all the time, but, as our story explains, Robinson has monetized his fantasies by selling development masterclasses to aspiring writers and offering other services for a fee.—
Jesse Whittock,
Deadline,
26 Sep. 2025
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So much of the casual sneaker market these days is either paper-thin minimal, or boastful, cartoonish and oversized.—
Todd Plummer,
Robb Report,
17 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Swaggering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/swaggering. Accessed 6 Oct. 2025.
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