as in pomp
excessive or unnecessary display
service that is the essence of swank: the waiters pull out your chair for you and even place your napkin on your lap
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
variants
or swanky
as in loud
excessively showy
drove up in a red sports car, the swank interior of which was decorated in silver and black
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 swank
Essence, 14 Oct. 2025
Find it: Level one, Bloomingdale’s wing A swank yet still casual restaurant offering classic American fare with a focus on seasonal, local ingredients.
—Brock Keeling, Oc Register, 19 Sep. 2025
Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 3 Feb. 2026
A couple weeks later, Carnahan, who was scheduled to start filming Copshop around that time, invited Crosby to rendezvous at L’Horizon, another swanky resort in Palm Springs, where their friendship blossomed into romance.
—Winston Cho, HollywoodReporter, 29 Jan. 2026
Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 18 Apr. 2025
This Bible swanks a custom embossing of the inauguration date, and like other Bibles in the collection, it is written in the King James translation and includes historic American documents, like the text of the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution.
—Natalie Demaree, Miami Herald, 7 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for swank
Noun
To further set the scene for the night, we were welcomed into a swank, jazz club-esque venue called The Sun Rose Room located in Hollywood’s Sun Rose Hotel.
—Essence, 14 Oct. 2025
Find it: Level one, Bloomingdale’s wing A swank yet still casual restaurant offering classic American fare with a focus on seasonal, local ingredients.
—Brock Keeling, Oc Register, 19 Sep. 2025
Adjective
Truthfully, attendees were buzzing before the panels even began, thanks to a swanky breakfast that welcomed guests with a set of new Airpods Pro to experience the latest iteration of the wireless headphones’ live translation technology.
—Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 3 Feb. 2026
A couple weeks later, Carnahan, who was scheduled to start filming Copshop around that time, invited Crosby to rendezvous at L’Horizon, another swanky resort in Palm Springs, where their friendship blossomed into romance.
—Winston Cho, HollywoodReporter, 29 Jan. 2026
Verb
What the Voice of the People is saying is: ‘Look at that frightful ass Spode swanking about in footer bags.
—Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 18 Apr. 2025
This Bible swanks a custom embossing of the inauguration date, and like other Bibles in the collection, it is written in the King James translation and includes historic American documents, like the text of the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution.
—Natalie Demaree, Miami Herald, 7 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for swank
Recent Examples of Synonyms for swank
Noun
-
Part of it is the field design and pomp, with a treasure map surrounding the rink, a stick tap to the Gasparilla Pirate Festival that’s expected to bring a half-million people into the downtown area over the weekend.—
Joe Smith,
New York Times,
31 Jan. 2026
-
Khamenei was born into poverty and outwardly disdains pomp, cultivating an image of pious frugality.—
Karim Sadjadpour,
The Atlantic,
31 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
The American was greeted by loud cheers from the traveling US fans when her name was announced as a starter, but the occasion didn’t seem to faze the young athlete, who has taken on so much responsibility of late.—
Ben Church,
CNN Money,
6 Feb. 2026
-
Shortly thereafter, the two women heard a loud bang and exited the bedroom to find Toth lying on the kitchen floor and staring blankly at the ceiling, the report said.—
Silas Morgan,
The Orlando Sentinel,
6 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Their deaths occurred roughly seven weeks apart last year — Harper, 18, was gunned down at a house party in Bay Point by intruders who allegedly bragged about it online afterward.—
Nate Gartrell,
Mercury News,
10 Feb. 2026
-
Self-promotion, though, is still an area of weakness for Harvey, who isn’t one to brag about his accomplishments.—
Matt Le Cren,
Chicago Tribune,
10 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Next, think about the food and decorations that will be filling the space.—
Kylie Petty,
Better Homes & Gardens,
8 Feb. 2026
-
This is a hotel where guests demand—and get—rooms customized to their needs, whether that extends to the design of decorations on personal Christmas trees or ordering gallons of Evian water to wash in.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
6 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Closer to beach and mountain weekends, and to big, noisy holiday gatherings, and to raising children who got to see their grandparents all the time.—
Théoden Janes,
Charlotte Observer,
11 Feb. 2026
-
The album’s best moments come when Joji deploys the noisy, aggressive production favored by morose rappers like fakemink, Bladee, and Playboi Carti.—
Mehan Jayasuriya,
Pitchfork,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Two swaggering outlaws roll into a mining town and unleash a wave of cruelty.—
Melanie Goodfellow,
Deadline,
20 Jan. 2026
-
The timing of such self-reflection was notable, on the direct horizon of an AFC divisional-round matchup against a Bills team that’ll require calls-to-the-wall swaggering from Payton.—
Luca Evans,
Denver Post,
16 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
All the pomp and circumstance without the promise of a worthy spectacle.—
Hannah Keyser,
CNN Money,
9 Feb. 2026
-
The dancing was kinetic and unrelenting, the show studded with myriad Easter eggs reflecting his heritage, the spectacle one of the most bracing and heartfelt the NFL has hosted in recent history.—
Jason Lamphier,
Entertainment Weekly,
9 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Companies quietly avoid conflict while seeking favor with ornate gifts, large donations to the president’s pet projects and strategic deployments of CEOs to the Oval Office.—
Nathaniel Meyersohn,
CNN Money,
7 Feb. 2026
-
Carved-wood dragons watch from palazzo eaves, and an ornate wrought-iron cage encases double bells atop the city hall’s clock tower.—
Adam Erace,
Travel + Leisure,
6 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Swank.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/swank. Accessed 12 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
