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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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
Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 May 2026
As fans stood for the opening run, a sprawling 23-piece backing ensemble — including six band members, eight backing vocalists plus returning Church muse Joanna Cotten, and a mini-orchestra with four horns and four strings — some swayed.
—Theoden Janes, Charlotte Observer, 6 Apr. 2026
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
Liz Knueven, CNBC, 12 June 2026
Yet voters weren’t swayed by Steyer’s money, seeing the donation as a rational response by a company deeply invested in California to a candidate who at least acknowledges basic energy reality.
—David Blackmon, Forbes.com, 11 June 2026
Social media video showed dozens of terrified elementary schoolchildren crouching down outdoors as the ground beneath them swayed violently in the province of Davao Occidental.
—Kathleen Magramo, CNN Money, 8 June 2026
Despite losing his job, Pelley successfully derailed their announcement plan for a new 60 Minutes, causing Bilton to play defense and apologize to staff just a week after joining the network and conceding that 60 Minutes would have full editorial independence that could not be swayed.
—Max Tani, semafor.com, 8 June 2026
Ultimately, the board was swayed by the impact of Dougherty’s public work in Colorado.
—The Denver Post Editorial Board, Denver Post, 8 June 2026
If you’ve been swayed by the new ad promoting the Apple Watch as a great device to boost your motivation and help keep your new year’s resolutions, then a new sales at Amazon and Best Buy are timely.
—David Phelan, Forbes, 30 Dec. 2024
An owner seemingly swayed in personnel decisions by video game player rankings.
—Jim Reineking, USA TODAY, 27 Dec. 2024
But too many of the Jets’ key offensive players were frustrated, plus fans (and some media) were calling for LaFleur’s head — Johnson wasn’t swayed.
—Zack Rosenblatt, The Athletic, 22 Dec. 2024
Adjective
Most teams, in fact, decided from the start that pitchers were not in the best position and were liable to be too emotionally swayed to be entrusted with ABS challenges.
—Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 May 2026
As fans stood for the opening run, a sprawling 23-piece backing ensemble — including six band members, eight backing vocalists plus returning Church muse Joanna Cotten, and a mini-orchestra with four horns and four strings — some swayed.
—Theoden Janes, Charlotte Observer, 6 Apr. 2026
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
Some gold ETFs directly invest in bullion kept in vaults, while others invest in shares of mining companies that tend to follow the price of gold while also being swayed by the companies’ management decisions, efficiency and financials.
—Liz Knueven, CNBC, 12 June 2026
Yet voters weren’t swayed by Steyer’s money, seeing the donation as a rational response by a company deeply invested in California to a candidate who at least acknowledges basic energy reality.
—David Blackmon, Forbes.com, 11 June 2026
Social media video showed dozens of terrified elementary schoolchildren crouching down outdoors as the ground beneath them swayed violently in the province of Davao Occidental.
—Kathleen Magramo, CNN Money, 8 June 2026
Despite losing his job, Pelley successfully derailed their announcement plan for a new 60 Minutes, causing Bilton to play defense and apologize to staff just a week after joining the network and conceding that 60 Minutes would have full editorial independence that could not be swayed.
—Max Tani, semafor.com, 8 June 2026
Ultimately, the board was swayed by the impact of Dougherty’s public work in Colorado.
—The Denver Post Editorial Board, Denver Post, 8 June 2026
If you’ve been swayed by the new ad promoting the Apple Watch as a great device to boost your motivation and help keep your new year’s resolutions, then a new sales at Amazon and Best Buy are timely.
—David Phelan, Forbes, 30 Dec. 2024
An owner seemingly swayed in personnel decisions by video game player rankings.
—Jim Reineking, USA TODAY, 27 Dec. 2024
But too many of the Jets’ key offensive players were frustrated, plus fans (and some media) were calling for LaFleur’s head — Johnson wasn’t swayed.
—Zack Rosenblatt, The Athletic, 22 Dec. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for swayed
Adjective
-
Days later, her condition continued to worsen, leaving her more convinced that something had been missed.—
Tereza Shkurtaj,
PEOPLE,
14 June 2026
-
Yet Dubi remains convinced the city possesses something no other Olympic host can replicate.—
Tim Genske,
Forbes.com,
11 June 2026
Verb
-
Alternative Rock The modern pop paradigm has been greatly influenced by Jack Antonoff, the producer du jour who cut his teeth in such bands as fun.—
Sheldon Pearce,
New Yorker,
12 June 2026
-
Offer availability, placement, and display are determined by the third party and may be influenced by compensation and other factors.—
Liz Knueven,
CNBC,
12 June 2026
Verb
-
As the opening ceremony began with a flurry of speeches, the bus carrying Team Zambia lurched to a stop by the side of the road in southern Zimbabwe, 200 miles away.—
Ryan Lenora Brown,
NPR,
14 June 2026
-
In a December 2024 crash, a bus lurched onto a sidewalk outside Curley K-8 School in the Jamaica Plain neighborhood.—
Willoughby Mariano,
ProPublica,
8 June 2026
Verb
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The establishment of the fund comes less than two weeks after a district court judge ruled the Kennedy Center's board acted unlawfully in adding the president's name and in making plans for two years of closure and renovations.—
Emma Nicholson,
CBS News,
15 June 2026
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An Oslo court ruled that Marius Borg Hoiby, who joined the royal family when his mother Mette-Marit married Haakon in 2001, was guilty of two counts of rape including one in the basement of the crown prince’s home.—
Reuters,
CNN Money,
15 June 2026
Adjective
-
Even though Mercola has now reversed his position on vitamin K, many on social media still cling to debunked and distorted claims.—
Duaa Eldeib,
ProPublica,
12 June 2026
-
The strange fruits of Koosha’s process premiered Wednesday night at the Tribeca Festival in New York — a work that was just another indie film on one hand but also a glimpse at the distorted mirror of film’s future on the other.—
Steven Zeitchik,
HollywoodReporter,
11 June 2026
Verb
-
Similar to the recalls listed above, owners of vehicles affected by the recall are expected to be mailed a letter notifying them of the issue by July 6, according to NHTSA.—
Julia Gomez,
USA Today,
16 June 2026
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This network is often affected by conditions such as Alzheimer's disease and depression, according to the researchers.—
Melissa Rudy,
FOXNews.com,
16 June 2026
Verb
-
The sudden controversy over the caps has rocked the sports world in recent days.—
Jackson Thompson OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
16 June 2026
-
The fatal crash has rocked the small Missouri city as state, local and federal officials comb through evidence to pinpoint its cause.—
Kacen Bayless,
Kansas City Star,
15 June 2026
Verb
-
But, coming at the end of an album that’s otherwise governed by an egalitarian teamwork-makes-the-dream-work ethos, the moment feels a bit like letting the boss take the last-call karaoke number as the office holiday party winds down—an indulgence well earned.—
Stuart Berman,
Pitchfork,
18 June 2026
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Organizations need to create an operational blueprint for human-agent collaboration that is governed, versioned and continuously improved as operational infrastructure, not a one-time artifact.—
Dave Grow,
Forbes.com,
18 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Swayed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/swayed. Accessed 20 Jun. 2026.
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