swallows 1 of 2

present tense third-person singular of swallow

swallows

2 of 2

noun

plural of swallow
as in gulps
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 swallows
Verb
Infection can happen when someone accidentally swallows contaminated water from pools, splashpads, lakes, or rivers. Justin Laube, EverydayHealth.com, 1 June 2026 Sinkhole at LaGuardia swallows plans One of only two runways at New York’s bustling LaGuardia Airport remains closed as fallout from Wednesday’s discovery of a sinkhole on the pavement spills into the weekend. Holly Yan, CNN Money, 22 May 2026 Free agency slows down, and the draft swallows three days of American civic life. Eddie Brown, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 May 2026 So bad that no transaction based on similar terms, where minnow swallows the whale for a king’s ransom, could happen again, or even be floated, right? Shawn Tully, Fortune, 9 May 2026 As the ocean swallows her fishing village on Mexico’s Gulf Coast, one woman leads the effort to relocate her community while struggling to let go of the sea that shaped her life. Matthew Carey, Deadline, 6 May 2026 Once the python swallows the tracker, biologists can track the dangerous python. Ticked Off, The Orlando Sentinel, 30 Apr. 2026 Scientists discovered that when a python swallows a collared opossum whole, the GPS device keeps transmitting from inside the snake. Hanna Wickes, Kansas City Star, 28 Apr. 2026 When a python swallows one of these collared opossums whole, the GPS collar survives inside the snake and continues sending a signal. Hanna Wickes, Charlotte Observer, 28 Apr. 2026
Noun
Terminus always made sure their arrival came just after nightfall when the streetlights were lit and families were sitting back with full bellies bumping against their dinner tables, houses quiet; all conversation having already been spent between forkfuls of food and hearty swallows of drink. Literary Hub, 20 May 2026 In the spring, all is awash with green and swooped by swallows, and the many roads and hiking trails are beautifully edged with flowers. Helen Brown, TheWeek, 30 Apr. 2026 Cliff swallows traditionally built their nests on vertical cliff faces. Kurt Snibbe, Oc Register, 21 Mar. 2026 From a set of swallows to a topless mermaid, many of Harry Styles’s long menu of tattoos are inspired by classic Americana designs. Calin Van Paris, InStyle, 9 Mar. 2026 Elsewhere, swallows flashed across the surface of the water. Stanley Stewart, Travel + Leisure, 10 Jan. 2026 Back at Cala d'Istria, there are swallows swirling en masse. Catherine Fairweather, Condé Nast Traveler, 1 July 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for swallows
Verb
  • Michelle Yeung sips a matcha drink.
    Mike Winters Mickey Todiwala, CNBC, 4 June 2026
  • This is a rum that sips well beyond its relatively low strength, with deep notes of cherry, chocolate, maple, spice, and oak on the palate.
    Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 29 May 2026
Verb
  • Micromanagement stifles creativity, motivation, and productivity.
    Maria Ross, Forbes.com, 1 June 2026
  • That stifles competition at home and, with China’s dependence on global consumption, raises concerns about dumping and deflation abroad.
    Diane Brady, Fortune, 14 May 2026
Verb
  • Energy consultancy Rystad, meanwhile, believes a $1-2 per barrel premium on oil prices is a conservative estimate.
    Hanna Ziady, CNN Money, 4 June 2026
  • It's been 26 years since the original film debuted, and actor and producer Shawn Wayans believes that comedy serves an even bigger purpose today.
    Jobina Fortson-Evans, CBS News, 3 June 2026
Noun
  • But in 2019, the group started to tighten the energy efficiency standard in gulps.
    The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 30 Mar. 2026
  • Iraqis breathed a few gulps of freedom before secular warfare between Sunni and Shia militias began tearing the country apart.
    Nolan Finley, Twin Cities, 6 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • McGinniss watches and lives and eats with the team, painting enchanting portraits of the team hierarchy at work over many-course meals.
    Leander Schaerlaeckens June 8, Literary Hub, 8 June 2026
  • The screwworm is actually a fly, which produces a larva that eats live flesh instead of dead material.
    ABC News, ABC News, 8 June 2026
Verb
  • The answer is that dim residential lighting, at intensities typical of a porch light, suppresses mosquito dormancy more powerfully than even urban warming does.
    John Drake, Forbes.com, 28 May 2026
  • Pregnancy suppresses the immune system, and dozens of pregnant women or women who had recently given birth died from COVID in California.
    Ariane Lange, Sacbee.com, 23 May 2026
Verb
  • Gritty Nobody ever said Pennsylvania was short on personality—and hometown pride takes a baffling but beloved form in Gritty, the Philly Flyers mascot.
    Arati Menon, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 June 2026
  • In keeping with Croatia’s newer luxury inventory, the home takes a clean, modern approach.
    Spencer Elliott, Forbes.com, 6 June 2026
Noun
  • Alternating alcoholic drinks with water can reduce total alcohol consumption, improve hydration and reduce hangover symptoms.
    Teresa Mull, FOXNews.com, 6 June 2026
  • The dark spirit might be more commonly thought of as a cozy, cool-weather sipper or associated with booze-forward drinks served up, but there’s plenty of reason to enjoy it in the summer too, and this cocktail proves why.
    Cameron Beall, Southern Living, 6 June 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Swallows.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/swallows. Accessed 9 Jun. 2026.

More from Merriam-Webster on swallows

Love words? Need even more definitions?

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

More from Merriam-Webster