1
as in marshes
spongy land saturated or partially covered with water
be careful in the swamp, because alligators sometimes lurk there
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in pickles
a difficult, puzzling, or embarrassing situation from which there is no easy escape
with her credit cards maxed out, and the making of minimum payments a challenge, debt seemed to be an ever-deepening swamp
Synonyms & Similar Words
1
as in floods
to cover with a flood
the boat was swamped by the huge wave has been swamped with paperwork since she returned from vacation
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in overwhelms
to subject to incapacitating emotional or mental stress
parents feeling swamped by work and family obligations
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 swamps
Noelle Phillips, Denver Post, 30 May 2026
They are typically found in shallow ponds, swamps, canals, reservoirs, lakes and rivers.
—Charna Flam, PEOPLE, 28 May 2026
The ‘banter’ era settled in, with every collapse, every disappointment, every failure amplified in the fever swamps of social media.
—Ian Crouch, New Yorker, 20 May 2026
Whistling warblers and rat-tat-tatting woodpeckers accompanied the splish-splash of our kayak paddles through the Cache River Wetlands—one of the northernmost bald cypress swamps in the United States.
—Jess Hoffert, Midwest Living, 15 May 2026
Full- or half-day trips take paddlers through blackwater wooded environments, salt marshes, estuaries, swamps, rivers, and intracoastal waterways.
—Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 11 May 2026
Workers of the 1920s waded into swamps, armed with axes and handsaws.
—Dewayne Bevil, The Orlando Sentinel, 29 Apr. 2026
The fire had reached nearby bays and swamps, which contributed to the challenging firefighting conditions.
—Christopher Harris, CBS News, 22 Apr. 2026
During construction, Black men shoveled mud through malarial swamps, while battling snakes and alligators in intense heat.
—Literary Hub, 10 Apr. 2026
Kennedy French, Variety, 18 Feb. 2026
The repairs should keep water from damaging the telescope, as cold, wet and windy weather arrives and swamps the Bay Area into next week, potentially bringing snow to Mount Hamilton.
—Joaquin Palomino, San Francisco Chronicle, 14 Feb. 2026
Noun
Sumatran orangutans live in the rainforests and swamps on the northern tip of the island of Sumatra in Indonesia.
—Noelle Phillips, Denver Post, 30 May 2026
They are typically found in shallow ponds, swamps, canals, reservoirs, lakes and rivers.
—Charna Flam, PEOPLE, 28 May 2026
The ‘banter’ era settled in, with every collapse, every disappointment, every failure amplified in the fever swamps of social media.
—Ian Crouch, New Yorker, 20 May 2026
Whistling warblers and rat-tat-tatting woodpeckers accompanied the splish-splash of our kayak paddles through the Cache River Wetlands—one of the northernmost bald cypress swamps in the United States.
—Jess Hoffert, Midwest Living, 15 May 2026
Full- or half-day trips take paddlers through blackwater wooded environments, salt marshes, estuaries, swamps, rivers, and intracoastal waterways.
—Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 11 May 2026
Workers of the 1920s waded into swamps, armed with axes and handsaws.
—Dewayne Bevil, The Orlando Sentinel, 29 Apr. 2026
The fire had reached nearby bays and swamps, which contributed to the challenging firefighting conditions.
—Christopher Harris, CBS News, 22 Apr. 2026
During construction, Black men shoveled mud through malarial swamps, while battling snakes and alligators in intense heat.
—Literary Hub, 10 Apr. 2026
Verb
Though the darkness of the material never swamps the comedy, a balance McGee calibrated deliberately — less interested in the whodunit than in the women fumbling through it.
—Kennedy French, Variety, 18 Feb. 2026
The repairs should keep water from damaging the telescope, as cold, wet and windy weather arrives and swamps the Bay Area into next week, potentially bringing snow to Mount Hamilton.
—Joaquin Palomino, San Francisco Chronicle, 14 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for swamps
Noun
-
Walleye anglers should also try using frogs as bait in autumn, near places where marshes join the main lake.—
Chad Mason,
Outdoor Life,
3 June 2026
-
Their natural habitat is near ponds, marshes, rivers, and lakes.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
Southern Living,
31 May 2026
Noun
-
Other condiments that can be stored in the door compartments include pickles, olives, maple syrup, chocolate syrup, jam, peanut butter, and sauces like hot sauce.—
Kait Hanson,
Southern Living,
7 June 2026
-
Note that pickles made with a salt brine, like Martha's Sour Pickles, are fermented foods, while those made quickly with vinegar are not.—
Melissa Kravitz Hoeffner,
Martha Stewart,
6 June 2026
Verb
-
The virus floods the immune system, eventually shredding our vasculature.—
Neil Vora,
Time,
22 May 2026
-
The heart, with its every beat, pumps out a mourning substance that floods the brain.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
21 May 2026
Verb
-
Wild scenes unfold as social media teen meetup overwhelms popular beach.—
,
FOXNews.com,
2 June 2026
-
This high-corn composition lays the foundation for a sweet, approachable profile, while the modest rye content adds a measured spice that never overwhelms.—
Joseph V Micallef,
Forbes.com,
30 May 2026
Noun
-
This is your chance to learn from an expert about the many birds who frequent these wetlands.—
Marla Jo Fisher,
Oc Register,
28 May 2026
-
At least once a week, Dahrouge or Goetz goes to nearby wetlands, stirs shin-deep water and collects silty samples filled with arthropods, daphnia and other macroscopic critters the salamanders will eat.—
Nathan Rott,
NPR,
27 May 2026
Noun
-
Rather than bridging shortfalls, both Seattle and Washington now face more difficult fiscal predicaments, Joblon said.—
Aldo Svaldi,
Denver Post,
18 May 2026
-
The madman strategy is for not-crazy leaders caught in adverse predicaments.—
David Frum,
The Atlantic,
8 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Withholding effective treatment for chronic disease devastates lives and drives up healthcare costs.—
Karen R. Studer,
Sacbee.com,
1 June 2026
-
After an epidemic devastates humanity, one group, the Traveling Symphony, connects disparate survivors by performing Shakespeare.—
The Week US,
TheWeek,
20 May 2026
Noun
-
Lead executives Jon Wallace and Ben Tenzer will be dealing with far more pressing dilemmas on draft night and in the days that follow, but they’re also tasked with using the low-value pick to locate someone who can help Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets win immediately.—
Bennett Durando,
Denver Post,
9 June 2026
-
The regulation of our environment; the presence of chemicals both intentionally and unwittingly in our food, water, air, and land; the ecological fate of all living creatures, and of the earth itself—all these dilemmas and conundrums find urgent expression in Carson’s work.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
8 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Swamps.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/swamps. Accessed 10 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
