1
as in boyfriends
a male romantic companion
a romanticized portrait of a bygone era of beauteous Southern belles and their gallant swains
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in wooers
a man who courts a woman usually with the goal of marrying her
Grandma claims that she had several swains pursuing her, but it was only Grandpa who won her heart
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for swains
Noun
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Heated Rivalry breakouts Connor Storrie and Hudson Williams have parlayed their overnight fame into voiceover work for the audio erotica app Quinn, also home to dirty talk from internet boyfriends like Christopher Briney and Andrew Scott.—
Savannah Walsh,
Vanity Fair,
15 Apr. 2026 -
Her famous boyfriends have included NBA stars Devin Booker and Ben Simmons, as well as rapper Bad Bunny.—
Martha Ross,
Mercury News,
14 Apr. 2026
Noun
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So are their girlfriends and wives, who support their beaus in stadiums and at home.—
Kate Hogan,
PEOPLE,
1 Apr. 2026
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Despite some very not-so-subtle hints from yours truly, my past beaus have never gifted me a handbag on Valentine’s Day, either.—
Michelle Baricevic,
InStyle,
26 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Coincidentally landing on National Cheddar Fries Day and National Pineapple Upside-Down Cake Day, the date is shaping up to be a great day for snack-lovers and munchies-havers alike.—
Mary Walrath-Holdridge,
USA Today,
19 Apr. 2026
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Tavish, who just moved to New Zealand from Los Angeles with his bride, is a gigolo whose three previous aging lovers died under mysterious circumstances.—
Sandra Dallas,
Denver Post,
19 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The Milton Hershey School, a residential school for K-12 students from disadvantaged economic and social backgrounds, has grown from an enrollment of four boys in 1910 to a co-ed institution with 2,200 students.—
David P. Willis,
USA Today,
15 Apr. 2026
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East Ridge won its first boys weightlifting title and did it in dramatic fashion.—
Buddy Collings,
The Orlando Sentinel,
15 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Those additions would also help the duo avoid dishing out big deals to outside suitors in free agency in the future.—
Mike Kaye
April 20,
Charlotte Observer,
20 Apr. 2026
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Wilson has long been expected to depart as a free agent and has suitors in the Premier League and beyond.—
David Ornstein,
New York Times,
16 Apr. 2026
Noun
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This being Lit Hub, here are all the fellows recognized this year for their significant contributions to the literary arts.—
Brittany Allen,
Literary Hub,
14 Apr. 2026
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The creative arts portion has 30 fellows for fine arts, 19 for photography, 19 for film & video, 10 for fiction, and six for drama and performance art, among other disciplines.—
Harrison Jacobs,
ARTnews.com,
14 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The markets, which include Polymarket and its chief rival Kalshi, have been criticized for everything from undermining the integrity of sports to contributing to an online betting addiction crisis among young men.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
17 Apr. 2026
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For many years, young men were handed clear scripts.—
Emma Green,
New Yorker,
17 Apr. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Swains.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/swains. Accessed 23 Apr. 2026.
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