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
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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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The trouble reportedly started when some of the party attendees started arguing with each other about their boyfriends, witness Jeremiah Braxton told The Associated Press.—
Robert McGreevy,
FOXNews.com,
6 May 2026 -
There was a bit of screaming by girls, but the boyfriends who went along wanted to listen to the band.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
21 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
-
Nature lovers with more time to explore may want to immerse themselves in the landscape by hiking, camping, and other outdoor pursuits, but others prefer to take in the beauty and timelessness in a more relaxed way.—
Patricia Doherty,
Travel + Leisure,
3 May 2026
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Made in response to a difficult breakup, the work alludes to two lovers parting ways, but also to Pau’s memories of isolation as a severely asthmatic child in a notoriously polluted city, lying in bed staring at the wall and inventing stories to distract herself from the difficulty of breathing.—
Pauline J. Yao,
Artforum,
2 May 2026
Noun
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Benjamin’s boys and girls teams both fought through adversity at the FHSAA 1A state track and field finals at Hodges Stadium at the University of North Florida in Jacksonville on Wednesday.—
Gary Curreri,
Sun Sentinel,
7 May 2026
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Almost three years later, a 30-strong ensemble of young boys, many making their professional acting debuts thanks to open casting calls, is transporting us to their unruly island in a four-part BBC series, with episodes airing on Sundays and the entire series available on BBC iPlayer.—
Connor Sturges,
Condé Nast Traveler,
6 May 2026
Noun
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But despite his rugged defense, his injury history might limit his attractiveness to potential trade suitors.—
Josh Robbins,
New York Times,
4 May 2026
-
Cohen may not have the firepower to pull this off, but does his interest put the name in play for larger suitors?—
Josh Brown,Sean Russo,
CNBC,
4 May 2026
Noun
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The open call for fellows will begin this fall.—
Daniel Cassady,
ARTnews.com,
4 May 2026
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For more information on this year’s fellows and projects, read on.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
30 Apr. 2026
Noun
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With two men on following a leadoff single by Trevor Story and a walk by Masataka Yoshida, Ceddanne Rafaela hit a ground ball that third baseman Junior Caminero couldn’t handle.—
Mac Cerullo,
Boston Herald,
8 May 2026
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Two men charged with stealing about $667,000 of Louis Vuitton merchandise from the back of delivery trucks — robbing the drivers at gunpoint — pleaded not guilty in San Diego Superior Court on Wednesday, prosecutors said.—
Caleb Lunetta,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
8 May 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Swains.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/swains. Accessed 10 May. 2026.
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