swash 1 of 2

verb

ˈswäsh How to pronounce swash (audio)
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

1
as in torrent

Related Words
2
as in swagger

Related Words

Dissimilar 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 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 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 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
  1. splash
  2. torrent
  3. swagger
  4. ripple
  5. sluice
  6. sass
  7. spillway
  8. floodway
Verb
  • Brighton splashed £30million on then 18-year-old Kostoulas from Olympiacos in his homeland during last year’s summer window.
    — Andy Naylor, New York Times, 4 Aug. 2026
  • Emily in Paris chronicles the birth of an influencer, regularly splashing Emily’s Instagram posts and growing follower count across the screen.
    — Judy Berman, Time, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of splash
Noun
  • On the campaign trail, Mamdani received a torrent of criticism over his past calls for defunding the NYPD and pledges to transform the city’s public safety apparatus.
    — Josephine Stratman, New York Daily News, 6 Aug. 2026
  • The torrent’s force moved boulders more than 20 feet in diameter and weighing more than 275 tons, equivalent to the heft of more than 150 Subaru Outbacks.
    — Elise Schmelzer, Denver Post, 27 July 2026
Definition of torrent
Noun
  • The combination takes what otherwise could be a cry-in-your-beer song and adds the swagger that sets Wetzel apart.
    — Josh Crutchmer, Rolling Stone, 5 Aug. 2026
  • Reflecting on the album in a 2008 interview with SPIN, Costello said people mistook the confrontational pose for genuine swagger.
    — SPIN Staff, SPIN, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of swagger
Verb
  • The effects of weather disruptions ripple through regional supply chains, affecting everything from aviation and manufacturing to insurance and public health.
    — Karryl Kim Sagun Trajano, Fortune, 2 Aug. 2026
  • One analysis projects the coming wave could mint more than 16,000 new millionaires and roughly 20 billionaires—a wealth-creation event already beginning to ripple through the world’s most rarefied property markets.
    — Natalie Hoberman, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026
Definition of ripple
Noun
  • Dam Removal Europe found that the number of dams dismantled in 2025, along with other water-flow controls like weirs, culverts and sluices, grew by 11% from the year before.
    — Chas Newkey-Burden, TheWeek, 3 June 2026
  • The archways are furnished with sluice gates that can open to allow excess water to pass through in periods of flooding.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 8 May 2026
Definition of sluice
Noun
  • Played to perfection by Robert Picardo, the Emergency Medical Hologram was programmed to save lives and give sass.
    — Jordan Hoffman, Entertainment Weekly, 4 July 2026
  • Wit and sass are sexy as Mercury and Jupiter harmonize.
    — USA TODAY, USA Today, 13 May 2026
Definition of sass
Noun
  • Garwood said the spillway system dates to the late 1960s, but the pipe was lined last year.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 31 July 2026
  • The largest among them, the Hardy Dam on the Muskegon River, needs a multi-hundred-million-dollar spillway upgrade to comply with modern flood safety standards.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 12 June 2026
Definition of spillway
Noun
  • Westcott said some of the subdivisions along the creek were built in the 1960s and 1970s when proper drainage was an afterthought and fences were installed in floodways.
    — Michelle Mullins, Chicago Tribune, 26 Mar. 2026
  • Private property floodways and floodplains are mostly affected when extreme weather events occur, village officials said.
    — Michelle Mullins, Chicago Tribune, 26 Mar. 2026
Definition of floodway

Browse Nearby Words

swarthy
swash
swashbuckling
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Cite this Entry

“Swash.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/swash. Accessed 7 Aug. 2026.

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