swallow 1 of 2

verb

Definition of swallownext
1
as in to sip
to take into the stomach through the mouth and throat try not to swallow the toothpaste

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
2
as in to stifle
to refrain from openly showing or uttering swallowed his pride and asked for help

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to believe
to regard as right or true my little niece swallows everything I tell her

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

swallow

2 of 2

noun

as in sip
the portion of a serving of a beverage that is swallowed at one time drank the cool refreshing water in two swallows and held out her cup for more

Synonyms & Similar 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 swallow
Verb
The purpose of antitrust was to prevent companies from getting too large by taking over companies and swallowing them up and thwarting competition. — John E. McDonough, STAT, 16 Oct. 2026 Worsening throat pain with trouble swallowing, opening your mouth, or speaking normally also warrants prompt evaluation. — Angela Haupt, Time, 16 Oct. 2026
Noun
Like swallows returning home, more than 100,000 Penn State faithful flock to the fields surrounding Beaver Stadium six times a fall. — Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 14 Aug. 2026 As climate chaos causes oceans to swallow coastlands, and as surging water displaces and devastates communities, social survival will demand that people find ways to live and work with – and on – the water. — New Atlas, 14 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for swallow
Recent Examples of Synonyms for swallow
  1. sip
  2. stifle
  3. believe
  4. gulp
  5. chew
  6. suppress
  7. take
  8. drink
Verb
  • Allowing tea to cool until it can be sipped comfortably can prevent burns and could help preserve its potential cardiovascular benefits.
    — Faye Chiu, CNN Money, 21 Oct. 2026
  • During my stay some visitors curled up on the couches against the evening desert chill, sipping hot drinks spiked with Amarula, a South African liqueur, surrounded by flickering candles.
    — Samantha Falewée, Condé Nast Traveler, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of sip
Verb
  • Debt acts as a ceiling on private investment, further stifling growth.
    — Masood Ahmed, Fortune, 17 Oct. 2026
  • The weather served up truly stifling heat, including a stretch of highs in the mid-90s, and a few days of air quality emergency due to wildfire smoke drifting across the upper Midwest.
    — Rick Porter, HollywoodReporter, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of stifle
Verb
  • Fennel believes the Halifax team may eventually pin its estimate to within 10 percent.
    — Alec Luhn, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026
  • The Hulu series also stars Sam Nivola as a teenager who awakens from a coma after an accident believing his mother (Britton) is an impostor.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of believe
Noun
  • Atkinson’s gift for galloping plot, as well as her typical attention to even the most tertiary character, make this a delicious gulp of a read.
    — Emily Temple, Literary Hub, 8 Sep. 2026
  • Kenzo leaned back so that his bobbing Adam’s apple was visible, and drank it down in one gulp.
    — Cynthia Zarin, Harpers Magazine, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of gulp
Verb
  • Phillip Gong Gong, my grandfather, teased her, chewing the gristly meat and semi-raw cabbage chunks.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Two guys who coached on the correct side of the ball [defense] chewing it up.
    — Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of chew
Verb
  • By failing to suppress a Democratic campaign ad about the scandal, the Republican Party is only calling more attention to the misuse of $10 million meant for Florida’s Medicaid program.
    — Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Critics say the changes could suppress overseas turnout; volunteers have responded with VoteBnB, matching voters with rides and places to stay near polling stations.
    — Branimir Pipal, Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of suppress
Verb
  • In a statement posted to Facebook, the Wichita Police Department asked anyone with video of the incident to upload it so investigators could take a look.
    — Dennis Romero, NBC news, 18 Oct. 2026
  • In addition to the return of her property, Omar's attorneys are demanding that the Justice Department preserve any audio and video that was taken during the search, according to the letter.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of take
Noun
  • With six couples, having two separate houses gave us space to spread out while keeping everyone close enough to gather for dinner, drinks, and games.
    — Jessica Chapel, Condé Nast Traveler, 17 Oct. 2026
  • Many consumers are drinking less or buying ready-to-drink beverages such as beer and canned cocktails.
    — Lizzie Kane, Sacbee.com, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of drink

Browse Nearby Words

swales
swallow
swallowable
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Swallow.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/swallow. Accessed 24 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on swallow

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about swallow

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of puissant

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Can' vs. 'May'

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Words of the Week - Oct. 23

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
different halloween monsters in silhouette
A Monstrous Vocab Quiz Words That Go Bump in the Night
See All