swash 1 of 2

Definition of swashnext
1
as in to splash
to move with a splashing motion waves gently swashing against the shore

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in to slosh
to cause (something liquid or mushy) to move along in sheets every bump in the road swashed a little more of my soda on the car's upholstery

Synonyms & Similar Words

swash

2 of 2

noun

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 swash
Verb
Recurring character Goro Majima swashes his buckles as the sole protagonist, taking to the seas having suffered from an almighty case of pirate amnesia. Lewis Gordon, Vulture, 8 Jan. 2025
Noun
Mole crabs burrow themselves in the intertidal swash zone but leave their antennae exposed above the surface to trap food like algae and plankton. Lauren Liebhaber, Miami Herald, 8 May 2025 This cushiony highlighter deposits a swash of subtle champagne, rose quartz, or gold while the squalane (the secret star of the show) provides moisture for a long-lasting look that provides a skin-like, never cakey, finish. Anamaria Glavan, Allure, 5 Oct. 2024 The dessert menu is just as backward-looking (or, more generously, classic-minded) as the savory offerings: cheesecake with a swash of berry sauce, dark chocolate pot de crème. Helen Rosner, The New Yorker, 30 June 2024 Glow Set a travel necessity—perfect for quick makeup touch-ups, passing through TSA, or a shimmering swash of color. Kiana Murden, Vogue, 5 Nov. 2021 Hollywood’s history is rich with swash-buckling scenes. Allison Prang, WSJ, 22 Oct. 2021 Some big trout are still in the swash on the beach at dawn, though this action will slow as the water continues to warm—topwaters get them. Frank Sargeant, al, 18 June 2021
Recent Examples of Synonyms for swash
Verb
  • After LaRavia made 10 of 11 shots to introduce himself to fans and Minnesota star Anthony Edwards, the Lakers’ general manager splashed a photo of LaRavia gazing out of a window on the front page of a faux newspaper and printed it on a black T-shirt.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 6 Jan. 2026
  • Kids can splash at Reedy River Bend, make purchases at a Publix grocery store, explore health and anatomy at Your Healthy Body and its Teddy Bear Clinic, or take on climbing and engineering challenges.
    Lauren Dana Ellman, Travel + Leisure, 6 Jan. 2026
Noun
  • The statement comes as xAI faces a torrent of criticism from government regulators around the world in connection to images produced by its Grok software over the past several days.
    David Ingram, NBC news, 8 Jan. 2026
  • Residents had to frantically flee their homes as a torrent of debris rushed through town and encased homes and cars in feet of mud.
    Briana Waxman, CNN Money, 31 Dec. 2025
Noun
  • But the show’s engagement with this material now often feels perfunctory, more interested in displaying cleverness or swagger than in advancing character.
    Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 6 Jan. 2026
  • The old Miami was built on swagger.
    Mike Bianchi, The Orlando Sentinel, 6 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • As seismic waves continue to ripple throughout the NFL barely a week after the end of the regular season — the strongest of which are emanating from the Rust Belt cities in the AFC North — things are relatively calm in the Carolinas.
    Joseph Person, New York Times, 14 Jan. 2026
  • Any disruption could ripple quickly through the country’s automotive and high-tech manufacturing industries.
    Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 12 Jan. 2026
Noun
  • Eventually, the animals were clustered into a sluice-like enclosure, and then the animals would be extracted one by one.
    Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 9 Dec. 2025
  • Charlie got into the shower, letting the hot water sluice off the rest of the blood on her back and whatever had dried in her hair.
    Maureen Lee Lenker, Entertainment Weekly, 19 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Their most recent project is a French rosé, a mix of NYC sass meets Provence.
    Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 10 Dec. 2025
  • The whole equilibrium of the show was thrown off without Leighton bringing her signature sass (and questionable fashion choices) to Essex College.
    EW Staff, Entertainment Weekly, 3 Dec. 2025
Noun
  • This week, operators at Oroville Dam, the tallest dam in the United States, which holds back California’s second-largest reservoir, opened the spillway gates and began releasing billions of gallons of water down the massive concrete spillway into the Feather River below.
    Paul Rogers, Mercury News, 7 Jan. 2026
  • More than 180,000 people evacuated from Yuba-Sutter and beyond when the Oroville Dam’s emergency spillway nearly failed in 2017.
    Jake Goodrick, Sacbee.com, 23 Dec. 2025
Noun
  • The closest the data center would be to Weston Gardens is 370 feet, said Riley, due to a wooded floodway and floodplain between the Black Mountain property and Weston’s.
    Matthew Adams, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 29 Sep. 2025
  • Call it resilience, call it infrastructure, call it economic development—just build it before the next 8-year-old goes to sleep in a floodway.
    Daniel Lehewych, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Swash.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/swash. Accessed 19 Jan. 2026.

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