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the power to direct the thinking or behavior of others usually indirectly outdated attitudes that still hold sway in some communities

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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?"

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

Nostalgia continues to hold a powerful sway over younger generations. — Angela Velasquez, Footwear News, 13 July 2026 On the regional planning agency’s board of directors, North County politicians hold outsized sway — among them Solana Beach Mayor Lesa Heebner, who has chaired the board for a year and a half. — Lucas Robinson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 July 2026

Verb

That’s because even ordinary winds – and far worse, storms and earthquakes – cause tall buildings to sway, which ruins people’s concentration, wrecks their mood, and even exhausts them. — New Atlas, 24 July 2026 The sight of a dough puffing, cheese oozing out its side, becoming browned and crispy…who cannot be swayed? — Alex Beggs, Bon Appetit Magazine, 24 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for sway

Recent Examples of Synonyms for sway

Noun

Hip-hop artist Ron Ron was honored for his long career and influence on the city’s music scene, with fellow Kansas City artists participating in the presentation.

— Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 28 July 2026
Trump has long been one of his most valuable campaign assets, and demonstrating continued influence in Washington matters for Netanyahu, who still hopes to host him in Israel for a pre-election visit.

— Kevin Liptak, CNN Money, 28 July 2026

Definition of influence

Noun

Even with his struggles with Miami this season, Fairbanks has a long enough track record in high-leverage situations to be of interest to contenders.

— Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 29 July 2026
As long as the Iran war continues, China’s leverage over oil prices gives it the ability to inflict immense pain on American consumers, and really the entire world, at a moment’s notice.

— Rogé Karma, The Atlantic, 29 July 2026

Definition of leverage

Noun

Xi came to power after the 2008 protests in Tibet and deadly unrest in Xinjiang, another frontier region of modern China where ethnic minorities have long chafed under Beijing’s rule and witnessed a huge security crackdown.

— CNN Money, CNN Money, 2 Aug. 2026
Ultimately, both sides are jockeying for power after the war, given the unusual uncertainty brought on by the change in the supreme leadership.

— ABC News, ABC News, 2 Aug. 2026

Definition of power

Verb

For example, New York endured weather whiplash on July 18 as the city lurched from a heat wave and smoke pollution from Canadian wildfires to flash flooding from slow-moving thunderstorms that dumped a few inches of rain in a short period of time.

— Andrew Freedman, CNN Money, 23 July 2026
Investors have followed Burnham's path to 10 Downing Street with some consternation, amid fears of a leftward lurch by Labour and a more fiscally loose approach to public spending.

— Hugh Leask, CNBC, 23 July 2026

Definition of lurch

Verb

The move has triggered fierce opposition from UEFA, which governs soccer in Europe, and CONCACAF, which governs soccer in North America, Central America, and the Caribbean.

— Kelly Phillips Erb, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2026
The law is slated to take effect January 25, 2027, with the rules that will govern compliance now in place.

— Cayla Bamberger, New York Daily News, 1 Aug. 2026

Definition of govern

Noun

Semax, a peptide containing seven amino acids, has been studied for its potential effects on the central nervous system.

— Jacqueline Howard, CNN Money, 31 July 2026
To see what those effects might be, a team of scientists modeled how wind and surface liquids interact to create waves and applied them specifically to other worlds, including Titan.

— Phil Plait, Scientific American, 31 July 2026

Definition of effect

Noun

Ceuta’s residents recalled a similar but smaller migration crisis in 2021, when the Moroccan government dropped its border controls and let several thousand people from Morocco and sub-Saharan countries into Ceuta over two days.

— ABC News, ABC News, 1 Aug. 2026
The competitive edge is shifting from raw model intelligence to efficient operations, specialized data, and infrastructure control.

— Gerui Wang, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2026

Definition of control

Browse Nearby Words

swatting

sway

swayed

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Cite this Entry

Style

“Sway.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sway. Accessed 2 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of sway

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verb

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