as in influenced
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1
as in affected
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
2
as in lurched
to make a series of unsteady side-to-side motions
the way the ski lift was swaying in the wind made me nervous
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3
as in ruled
archaic
to exercise authority or power over
an epic novel set in the days when Rome swayed the Western world
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Recent Examples of swayed
Tom Huddleston Jr., CNBC, 18 Aug. 2025
Business executives, at least some, are less swayed by the hype and more level-headed about the costs and benefits of using AI.
—Shivaram Rajgopal, Forbes.com, 17 Aug. 2025
semafor.com, 16 Feb. 2026
Not swayed by the team’s second-half surge, Moorad fired him in October with the Padres at 74-85.
—Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Feb. 2026
The pair swayed together before exchanging a kiss as the dancers surrounding them cheered and applauded.
—Emlyn Travis, Entertainment Weekly, 9 Feb. 2026
Seattle Seahawks coach Mike MacDonald swayed with his eyes closed while New England Patriots coach Mike Vrabel stood tall with a hand over his heart.
—Melissa Ruggieri, USA Today, 8 Feb. 2026
Across from the San Francisco Giants’ home base of Oracle Park, the audience swayed to British singer-songwriter Oliva Dean’s R&B-infused serenades at The One Party by Uber at Pier 48.
—Jim Harrington, Mercury News, 7 Feb. 2026
And that needn’t come from ownership, unless there were financial considerations that swayed the decisions.
—Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 7 Feb. 2026
At this critical time, WDM is in need of a decisive leader, not swayed by the environment, with a genuine sense of purpose to which all can relate, and the confidence to cross all lines to bring people together for a common goal.
—Phillip Sitter, Des Moines Register, 3 Feb. 2026
Returning to London, closer to his family home in Surrey, is another consideration which may have swayed his judgement.
—Jacob Tanswell, New York Times, 3 Feb. 2026
Adjective
When betting on a startup’s future potential, Graham is typically more swayed by his impression of its founders than the idea behind their business, the co-founder of startup accelerator Y Combinator wrote in a series of posts on social media platform X on August 10.
—Tom Huddleston Jr., CNBC, 18 Aug. 2025
Business executives, at least some, are less swayed by the hype and more level-headed about the costs and benefits of using AI.
—Shivaram Rajgopal, Forbes.com, 17 Aug. 2025
Verb
But the technology giant has shown in recent months that it can be swayed.
—semafor.com, 16 Feb. 2026
Not swayed by the team’s second-half surge, Moorad fired him in October with the Padres at 74-85.
—Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Feb. 2026
The pair swayed together before exchanging a kiss as the dancers surrounding them cheered and applauded.
—Emlyn Travis, Entertainment Weekly, 9 Feb. 2026
Seattle Seahawks coach Mike MacDonald swayed with his eyes closed while New England Patriots coach Mike Vrabel stood tall with a hand over his heart.
—Melissa Ruggieri, USA Today, 8 Feb. 2026
Across from the San Francisco Giants’ home base of Oracle Park, the audience swayed to British singer-songwriter Oliva Dean’s R&B-infused serenades at The One Party by Uber at Pier 48.
—Jim Harrington, Mercury News, 7 Feb. 2026
And that needn’t come from ownership, unless there were financial considerations that swayed the decisions.
—Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 7 Feb. 2026
At this critical time, WDM is in need of a decisive leader, not swayed by the environment, with a genuine sense of purpose to which all can relate, and the confidence to cross all lines to bring people together for a common goal.
—Phillip Sitter, Des Moines Register, 3 Feb. 2026
Returning to London, closer to his family home in Surrey, is another consideration which may have swayed his judgement.
—Jacob Tanswell, New York Times, 3 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for swayed
Verb
-
Meyer rejected claims he is overly influenced by Scott Boras, baseball’s most visible agent.—
David Brandt,
Chicago Tribune,
20 Feb. 2026
-
This must-see showroom and store does offer museum-worthy Jacobsens, Pontis, and Eameses, but also rare finds and pieces influenced by the Memphis Group from beloved Palm Springs interior legend Steve Chase.—
Jason Sheeler,
Condé Nast Traveler,
20 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The big polar bear lurched forward, hitting top speed in two strides.—
Scott Haugen,
Outdoor Life,
4 Feb. 2026
-
As Matt Woosnam reflected recently, the Premier League’s feel-good story has lurched into night terrors.—
Phil Hay,
New York Times,
3 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Meanwhile, municipal courts around the state are adjusting to a new normal after the Colorado Supreme Court ruled in December that cities cannot punish lawbreakers beyond what state statute would allow for the same offenses.—
Sam Tabachnik,
Denver Post,
15 Feb. 2026
-
Whether a judge has ruled on Seraphine’s placement is unclear because the proceedings are closed to the public.—
Grethel Aguila,
Miami Herald,
15 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Drinking water was not affected by the spill, officials said.—
Rebecca Morin,
USA Today,
18 Feb. 2026
-
Remove leaves affected by leaf spot or black tips and any rotting roots.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
17 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Alba rocked one of her favorite bikinis—a playful boho paisley and animal print number in deep shades of red and orange.—
Meg Walters,
InStyle,
17 Feb. 2026
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Monday’s shooting came nearly two months after Rhode Island was rocked by a shooting at Brown University that left two students dead and wounded nine others, as well as a Massachusetts Institute of Technology professor.—
Kimberlee Kruesi,
Los Angeles Times,
17 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Education officials constantly press for more state spending, which is governed by complicated formulas in a 1988 ballot measure, Proposition 98.—
Dan Walters,
Mercury News,
18 Feb. 2026
-
The state has long been governed by the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights, or TABOR, which mandates a flat income tax and caps state revenue collection.—
Nick Coltrain,
Denver Post,
17 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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But there’s a fundamentally American sensibility that unites its subjects — all eccentric, stubborn individuals whose belief in property as a sacred right has led them into conflict with someone equally convinced of their own entitlement.—
Alison Herman,
Variety,
13 Feb. 2026
-
The mood in the village shifts from suspicion to open hostility as the locals become more and more convinced that Hein is an impostor.—
Georg Szalai,
HollywoodReporter,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
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So far, Oklahoma and Texas A&M have impressed the most important teenagers.—
Jason Kirk,
New York Times,
18 Feb. 2026
-
Villa Park has impressed with its resolve in Division 1.—
Dan Albano,
Oc Register,
18 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Swayed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/swayed. Accessed 21 Feb. 2026.
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