swam

Definition of swamnext
past tense of swim
1
as in spun
to be in a confused state as if from being twirled around his head was swimming after he was given so much information on his first day at the new job

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2
as in hovered
to rest or move along the surface of a liquid or in the air there appeared to be an oily film swimming on the water

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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 swam Elsewhere in the photoshoot, Hosk swam in a pool, clad in a white graphic T-shirt and black underwear. Christina Perrier, InStyle, 10 Apr. 2026 The whale swam into an inlet on the small island of Poel, near the port of Wismar, on Tuesday and got stuck again. ABC News, 1 Apr. 2026 The Secret to Staying Sharp The actor, who previously swam and played tennis, now works out with a personal trainer twice a week — alongside Bartlett. Hanna Wickes, Sacbee.com, 31 Mar. 2026 When first responders arrived, a diver swam to the vehicle and connected it to a wrecker so the car could be pulled out of the water. Sam Gillette, PEOPLE, 31 Mar. 2026 Earlier this month, Esparza swam the anchor leg on three relay teams that won gold medals at the NCAA Division II national finals in Evansville, Indiana. Walter Villa, Miami Herald, 24 Mar. 2026 As he was airlifted away, a black and white dog swam through the water beneath him and the first responder. Alyce McFadden, San Francisco Chronicle, 23 Mar. 2026 Off the island of Dominica, guests swam within 20 feet of giant sperm whales. Michael Verdon, Robb Report, 22 Mar. 2026 Jackson swam in it, but was inspired by it. Los Angeles Times, 18 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for swam
Verb
  • In a 2015 email, when Mead Johnson was considering supplying some of its formula to a researcher for a study, a company neonatologist expressed concern that the results could be spun to make the preemie product look unsafe.
    David Hilzenrath, Miami Herald, 9 Apr. 2026
  • The product is the first of its kind to come out of Meta Superintelligence Labs , an AI-focused unit at Meta that was spun up last year.
    Liz Napolitano, CNBC, 9 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • About half of the oil from Deepwater Horizon accumulated in a soupy plume that hovered at a depth of around eleven hundred metres.
    Jeffrey Marlow, New Yorker, 5 Apr. 2026
  • The temperature hovered in the 30s.
    Kelly McGreal, FOXNews.com, 5 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • Rice then hit a potential double-play grounder to first baseman Connor Norby, but Norby’s throw sailed past the shortstop Lopez at second base, allowing Judge to score as the Yankees took a 4-1 lead.
    Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 6 Apr. 2026
  • In 1776 — not 1492 when Columbus sailed the ocean blue.
    Sarah Hearon, Entertainment Weekly, 3 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • Mediators have floated the idea that perhaps access to the Strait of Hormuz and the elimination of Iran's uranium stockpile could be fully resolved after a ceasefire is reached.
    Shannon K. Kingston, ABC News, 6 Apr. 2026
  • Knies opened the scoring after Edmundson hand-delivered the puck to Max Domi, who zoomed ahead and floated a saucer pass to Knies for a snipe from between the circles.
    Andrew Knoll, Daily News, 5 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • But her heart drifted toward other activities — usually whatever her brother Treston Brazile was doing, like baseball, soccer, and basketball.
    Charles Baggarly April 7, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 7 Apr. 2026
  • Florian Wirtz was over aggressive in his initial press and then lacked urgency to help balance out City’s right-side overload, while neither Curtis Jones or Ryan Gravenberch drifted across.
    Andy Jones, New York Times, 7 Apr. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Swam.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/swam. Accessed 11 Apr. 2026.

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