swallowing

verb

present participle of swallow
1
as in sipping
to take into the stomach through the mouth and throat try not to swallow the toothpaste

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 swallowing After decades of repression, Egyptians were shaken by the brutal 2010 torture and killing of Khaled Saeed, a 28-year-old from Alexandria, who the police claimed had died after swallowing a packet of drugs. — Abdelrahman Elgendy, Time, 6 Oct. 2026 Sherrilyn Ifill, former head of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund and one of the film’s most prominent legal voices, says DuVernay was unusually good at keeping all that expertise from swallowing the movie. — David Canfield, HollywoodReporter, 6 Oct. 2026 In humans, symptoms often include fever, weakness and headache before progressing to tingling sensations, anxiety, agitation, abnormal behavior, hallucinations, difficulty swallowing, coma and death. — Dean Fioresi, CBS News, 6 Oct. 2026 Enzymes need direct contact with food to do anything, so swallowing one on an empty stomach delivers almost no benefit. — Hanna Wickes, Kansas City Star, 23 Sep. 2026 Seven Chicago-area residents died after swallowing Tylenol capsules laced with potassium cyanide in September 1982. — Rebecca Johnson, Chicago Tribune, 23 Sep. 2026 Located along the coast near the scenic coastal city of Yachats, the dramatic natural feature resembles a bottomless hole swallowing the Pacific Ocean. — Staff Author, Travel + Leisure, 21 Sep. 2026 In July 2025, a 7-year-old boy nearly died after swallowing magnets from a popular game. — Vanessa Etienne, PEOPLE, 18 Sep. 2026 On Tuesday, September 8, a massive, 30-by-30-foot sinkhole opened directly in front of a Malibu oceanfront home reportedly belonging to Cage, swallowing his driveway whole. — Rebecca Alter, Vulture, 9 Sep. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for swallowing
  1. sipping
  2. suppressing
  3. believing
  4. chewing
  5. stifling
  6. taking
  7. drinking
  8. accepting
Verb
  • That's because the path is now clear on all drinking, sipping, chugging and shotgunning beverages in the NFL.
    — Armando Salguero OutKick, FOXNews.com, 7 Oct. 2026
  • Martha Plimpton, Hoon Lee, and Ciarán Hinds spent the evening trading jokes while sipping on spicy margaritas.
    — Chris Murphy, Vanity Fair, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of sipping
Verb
  • According to Iran Human Rights Monitor, the force has evolved into a powerful internal security institution involved in suppressing anti-government demonstrations, monitoring political activity and enforcing the regime's ideological restrictions.
    — Emma Bussey, FOXNews.com, 11 Oct. 2026
  • Cybersecurity specialist Daniel Kellner (Josh O’Connor) decides to turn whistleblower upon discovering that the US government has been suppressing evidence of extra-terrrestrial life, as part of a cover-up that goes back decades.
    — Tom Bailey, Space.com, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of suppressing
Verb
  • Education level divides Americans as well — just 47 percent of Americans without four-year degrees reported believing that science benefits most people, compared to 71 percent of college grads.
    — Nicholas Florko, STAT, 10 Oct. 2026
  • And we will be fooled into believing that’s the best, or worst, thing comedy has to offer.
    — Christina Catherine Martinez, Los Angeles Times, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of believing
Verb
  • The cheek-facing side, the chewing surface and the often-forgotten inside surface near the tongue or roof of the mouth.
    — Ryan Brennan, Charlotte Observer, 7 Oct. 2026
  • In the post, Wouter was pictured wearing a dog cone, which is used to prevent pets from licking, chewing or scratching surgical sites or wounds.
    — Summer Lin, Los Angeles Times, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of chewing
Verb
  • Most critically, the stifling political atmosphere Xi has created is draining Beijing’s ability to respond to emerging problems as earlier generations once did.
    — Carl Minzner, Foreign Affairs, 5 Oct. 2026
  • The government has been widely accused of stealing elections, jailing dissidents and stifling freedom of speech.
    — Clyburn Saint John, Los Angeles Times, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of stifling
Verb
  • Forward Eetu Luostarinen left the game midway through the third period after taking a puck to the face and did not return.
    — Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 11 Oct. 2026
  • Late in the third quarter, UNC took its first lead of the game on Demon June's 1-yard touchdown run, taking a 14-10 lead.
    — Ryan Canfield OutKick, FOXNews.com, 10 Oct. 2026
Definition of taking
Verb
  • Researchers found that eating or drinking less than an hour before bed was linked to longer sleep, but it was also associated with more time spent awake during the night.
    — Sarah Jividen, Verywell Health, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Penalties for minors convicted of buying alcohol at a bar or drinking it on the premises include a $250 fine and 24 to 32 hours of community service for a first offense, Shouse California Law Group said.
    — Sacbee.com, Sacbee.com, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of drinking
Verb
  • Avichai Mandelblit indicted the prime minister seven years ago on fraud, breach of trust and accepting bribes.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 12 Oct. 2026
  • At first, it’s seen in Soulan’s hesitation at accepting children from other villages to his class — then in his rage at his mother for feeding guests at the potential expense of the children’s meals.
    — Kambole Campbell, Variety, 11 Oct. 2026
Definition of accepting

Browse Nearby Words

swallowed
swallowing
swallows
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Cite this Entry

“Swallowing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/swallowing. Accessed 14 Oct. 2026.

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