swallows 1 of 2

Definition of swallowsnext
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
What if Kirby finally swallows something too big? Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 7 Apr. 2026 In Charlie Chaplin’s 1936 film Modern Times, a factory worker struggles to keep pace with an ever-accelerating assembly line—until the machine swallows him whole. Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 26 Mar. 2026 Cliff swallows make nests out of mud pellets that cling to overhangs. Kurt Snibbe, Oc Register, 21 Mar. 2026 That was a major downgrade from his current district, which swallows up right-leaning eastern San Diego County and the conservative pockets of Temecula and Murrieta. Los Angeles Times, 9 Mar. 2026 Straining at a gnat, the majority swallows a camel. Ben Fenwick, Oklahoma Watch, 12 Feb. 2026 Because of that, engineers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have designed a pill that confirms when someone swallows it. Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 25 Jan. 2026 There is also something about a theme park that swallows you up. Kimberly Zapata, Parents, 19 Dec. 2025 Once attached, the virus slides along the surface until the cell reshapes itself and swallows the virus inside. Pranjal Malewar, New Atlas, 12 Dec. 2025
Noun
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
  • Group support Wrapped in a fleece jacket, Sarah sips white wine from a stemmed glass.
    Gerald Witt, AJC.com, 1 Mar. 2026
  • Nasser adds a spoonful to her chia cherry water recipe and sips the fiber-rich drink slowly during the evenings.
    Devinder Bains, Vogue, 20 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • Critics say that trademarking the name of a common business model stifles the still-nascent heirloom and specialty beans market — a growing community of companies, farmers and influencers trying to increase consumption of beans, one of the most climate- and health-friendly foods around.
    Tara Duggan, San Francisco Chronicle, 2 Apr. 2026
  • Nothing stifles a good time like being stressed about what is going on at home without any way to intervene.
    Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 10 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • Some groundwater monitoring wells detected contamination levels higher than at any point since 1991, which the county believes may be due to a new leak.
    Ashley Miznazi, Miami Herald, 9 Apr. 2026
  • Counsell believes Rea’s low, steady heartbeat is a strength of the veteran’s.
    Meghan Montemurro, Chicago Tribune, 9 Apr. 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
  • The kitchen of the restaurant is crawling with maggots, the damp eats away at the tatami mats and wallpaper decorated with a design of a forest landscape.
    Shanti Escalante-De Mattei, ARTnews.com, 6 Apr. 2026
  • Often apologizing in between bites, Beard, 40, eats savagely with his hands, squeezing food and mashing it into his mouth.
    Michael Deeds, Idaho Statesman, 6 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • Some stuff just suppresses balls in play, after all.
    Eno Sarris, New York Times, 1 Apr. 2026
  • However well-intentioned, any law that suppresses speech based on viewpoint represents an 'egregious' assault on both of those commitments.
    Jenna Sundel, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • With her, Barlow takes a journey of spiritual awakening.
    Jed Gottlieb, Boston Herald, 5 Apr. 2026
  • The Pope usually takes the role of Jesus, carrying a wooden cross, but, last year, Francis, who was gravely ill, sent an aide in his stead.
    Paul Elie, New Yorker, 4 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • There will also be frozen cocktails and shareable drinks like Spill the Tea, a punch with vodka, nigori sake, lychee, jasmine and citrus.
    Connie Ogle, Miami Herald, 6 Apr. 2026
  • The dispenser has two separate water lines leading into the crew module, allowing the rehydration of food, making drinks and maintaining crew hydration.
    Jennifer Borresen, USA Today, 5 Apr. 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Swallows.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/swallows. Accessed 11 Apr. 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