SWAY Synonyms: 179 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How does the noun 'sway' contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of sway are authority , command , control , dominion , jurisdiction , and power . While all these words mean "the right to govern or rule or determine," sway suggests the extent of exercised power or influence. // the empire extended its sway over the region

Q: When can 'authority' be used instead of 'sway'?

The meanings of authority and sway largely overlap; however, authority implies power for a specific purpose within specified limits. // granted the authority to manage her estate

Q: In what contexts can 'command' take the place of 'sway'?

While in some cases nearly identical to sway , command implies the power to make arbitrary decisions and compel obedience. // the army officer in command

Q: When would 'control' be a good substitute for 'sway'?

In some situations, the words control and sway are roughly equivalent. However, control stresses the power to direct and restrain. // you are responsible for the students under your control

Q: When could 'dominion' be used to replace 'sway'?

The synonyms dominion and sway are sometimes interchangeable, but dominion stresses sovereign power or supreme authority. // given dominion over all the animals

Q: When is 'jurisdiction' a more appropriate choice than 'sway'?

The words jurisdiction and sway are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, jurisdiction applies to official power exercised within prescribed limits. // the bureau having jurisdiction over parks

Q: When is it sensible to use 'power' instead of 'sway'?

The words power and sway can be used in similar contexts, but power implies possession of ability to wield force, authority, or influence. // the power to mold public opinion

sway 1 of 2

noun

ˈswā

Definition of sway

as in influence

the power to bring about a result on another under the sway of euphoria, she offered to take us all out to dinner in celebration of her new job

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in leverage

the power to direct the thinking or behavior of others usually indirectly outdated attitudes that still hold sway in some communities

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in power

the right or means to command or control others a time when Rome held sway over a vast empire that stretched from Britain to the Near East

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

sway

2 of 2

verb

as in to influence

to act upon (a person or a person's feelings) so as to cause a response how can you not be swayed by that precious kitten, meowing as if to say, "Please take me home with you?"

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to lurch

to make a series of unsteady side-to-side motions the way the ski lift was swaying in the wind made me nervous

Synonyms & Similar Words

as in to govern

archaic to exercise authority or power over an epic novel set in the days when Rome swayed the Western world

Synonyms & Similar Words

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun sway contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of sway are authority, command, control, dominion, jurisdiction, and power. While all these words mean "the right to govern or rule or determine," sway suggests the extent of exercised power or influence.

the empire extended its sway over the region

When can authority be used instead of sway?

The meanings of authority and sway largely overlap; however, authority implies power for a specific purpose within specified limits.

granted the authority to manage her estate

In what contexts can command take the place of sway?

While in some cases nearly identical to sway, command implies the power to make arbitrary decisions and compel obedience.

the army officer in command

When would control be a good substitute for sway?

In some situations, the words control and sway are roughly equivalent. However, control stresses the power to direct and restrain.

you are responsible for the students under your control

When could dominion be used to replace sway?

The synonyms dominion and sway are sometimes interchangeable, but dominion stresses sovereign power or supreme authority.

given dominion over all the animals

When is jurisdiction a more appropriate choice than sway?

The words jurisdiction and sway are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, jurisdiction applies to official power exercised within prescribed limits.

the bureau having jurisdiction over parks

When is it sensible to use power instead of sway?

The words power and sway can be used in similar contexts, but power implies possession of ability to wield force, authority, or influence.

the power to mold public opinion

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 sway

Noun

That argument holds little sway with Knapp, the SPLC attorney. — Jim Defede, CBS News, 20 Sep. 2026 Meanwhile, the southern government enjoyed international recognition but was heavily under the sway of its Saudi backers. — Kareem Fahim, New Yorker, 19 Sep. 2026

Verb

On a recent weekend in Lee's district about 50 days before the election, members from the Culinary Union, the American Federation of Labor and the Congress of Industrial Organizations knocked on voters' doors, hoping to sway those still undecided. — ABC News, 21 Sep. 2026 In the southernmost car, dozens press together and sway in their prayer shawls to the hymns of the morning service. — Ben Corn, Christian Science Monitor, 19 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for sway

Recent Examples of Synonyms for sway

Noun

This process can be even more pronounced in smaller galaxies in which the gravitational influence is weaker, and the black holes are less likely to be strongly bound to the galactic center.

— Robert Lea, Space.com, 29 Sep. 2026
House Beautiful identifies craftsmanship, nostalgia and personalization as influences shaping furniture in 2026.

— Ashley Lynch, Charlotte Observer, 29 Sep. 2026

Definition of influence

Noun

But expanding domestic and allied capacity to manufacture the most critical medicines and ingredients — and maintain adequate strategic reserves — would dramatically reduce China’s leverage in any future crisis.

— Patrick McHenry, STAT, 30 Sep. 2026
Iran, unable to get its own oil through the strait because of a US naval blockade, and losing its key source of economic leverage, has ramped up its attacks on oil tankers transiting the Gulf.

— David Goldman, CNN Money, 29 Sep. 2026

Definition of leverage

Noun

Just ask the Taliban, now back in charge in Afghanistan after being driven from power.

— Rachel Marsden, Hartford Courant, 2 Oct. 2026
That’s not to mention what could be a massively consequential midterm election, fueled by AI anxiety among voters, that could test the bounds of their power.

— Ashley Gold, semafor.com, 2 Oct. 2026

Definition of power

Verb

Our research suggests these tombs were designed and constructed not simply to house the dead, but to affect the living through a sensorily immersive environment similar to a modern 3D film experience.

— Jacqueline Ortoleva, Scientific American, 3 Oct. 2026
At that altitude, even small changes in orientation can affect where an instrument looks on the ground.

— Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 3 Oct. 2026

Definition of affect

Verb

The alternative is a region that lurches from crisis to crisis, and from one extreme to another.

— DAN RESTREPO, Foreign Affairs, 30 Sep. 2026
Maybe this is what the Chargers are — lurching, sputtering and unable to consistently move the football, despite an offensive overhaul packed with lofty expectations.

— Assistant Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 21 Sep. 2026

Definition of lurch

Verb

Bolsonaro, 45, is competing in his first and seeking to return his family name to power after his father governed Brazil from 2019 through 2022.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 4 Oct. 2026
The founding mayors lead cities including Atlanta, Jacksonville, Boise, Tulsa and Memphis -- governing more than 7 million Americans across 11 red and purple states, according to a memo for the new coalition.

— Isabella Murray, ABC News, 3 Oct. 2026

Definition of govern

Noun

The result gives researchers a different way to examine anomalous Hall effects.

— Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 3 Oct. 2026
Some meteorologists are predicting a more mild early winter season due to the effects of El Nino, which could have an impact on this year’s flu season, Wu said.

— Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 2 Oct. 2026

Definition of effect

Noun

Heading into the midterm elections, AI now ranks as a key issue in races that will help decide control of both chambers of Congress.

— Jeff Masonand Michael Shepard Bloomberg, Arkansas Online, 3 Oct. 2026
Precise attitude control keeps those instruments pointed at their targets as the satellites race around Earth.

— Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 3 Oct. 2026

Definition of control

Browse Nearby Words

swatting

sway

swayed

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Style

“Sway.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sway. Accessed 4 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of sway

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verb

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