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
Caitlin McGlade, Charlotte Observer, 17 Mar. 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
ABC News, 30 Mar. 2026
Big Wild was up next on the Be stage, bringing melodic dance and peaceful vibes to the crowd gathered, who swayed to the music or lay out on the grass.
—Patrick Connolly, The Orlando Sentinel, 25 Mar. 2026
No insurer—and no Iranian—will be swayed by more threats.
—Jim Edwards, Fortune, 23 Mar. 2026
Marcel In the heat of the afternoon, the Fort Worth blues singer Marcel — as in Brandon Marcel, a close collaborator and backing singer for Leon Bridges — crooned his way through a half-hour set while Bridges swayed and applauded from the side of the stage.
—Josh Crutchmer, Rolling Stone, 20 Mar. 2026
In such cases, a regulator swayed by ideological impulses can do lasting damage.
—Bloomberg Opinion, Twin Cities, 20 Mar. 2026
For more than a century, skirt fashion has swayed between short and long styles.
—Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 18 Mar. 2026
Some were swayed by the benefits the developer offered, and others have been spooked by the possibility of an affordable housing project in their backyard.
—Catherine Odom, Miami Herald, 14 Mar. 2026
That argument has not swayed Banas.
—Theo Peck-Suzuki, Hartford Courant, 9 Mar. 2026
Adjective
Several people wept and swayed.
—Caitlin McGlade, Charlotte Observer, 17 Mar. 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
People swayed to Cléopâtre's music on Sunday, with some singing along and blowing her kisses, while performers in colorful clothes danced on stage.
—ABC News, 30 Mar. 2026
Big Wild was up next on the Be stage, bringing melodic dance and peaceful vibes to the crowd gathered, who swayed to the music or lay out on the grass.
—Patrick Connolly, The Orlando Sentinel, 25 Mar. 2026
No insurer—and no Iranian—will be swayed by more threats.
—Jim Edwards, Fortune, 23 Mar. 2026
Marcel In the heat of the afternoon, the Fort Worth blues singer Marcel — as in Brandon Marcel, a close collaborator and backing singer for Leon Bridges — crooned his way through a half-hour set while Bridges swayed and applauded from the side of the stage.
—Josh Crutchmer, Rolling Stone, 20 Mar. 2026
In such cases, a regulator swayed by ideological impulses can do lasting damage.
—Bloomberg Opinion, Twin Cities, 20 Mar. 2026
For more than a century, skirt fashion has swayed between short and long styles.
—Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 18 Mar. 2026
Some were swayed by the benefits the developer offered, and others have been spooked by the possibility of an affordable housing project in their backyard.
—Catherine Odom, Miami Herald, 14 Mar. 2026
That argument has not swayed Banas.
—Theo Peck-Suzuki, Hartford Courant, 9 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for swayed
Verb
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Health is influenced not only by clinical care but also by lifestyle choices, daily movement and meaningful relationships—including those with our pets.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
27 Mar. 2026
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His background at Brider and high-end Boulder restaurant Oak at Fourteenth influenced the offerings.—
Max Scheinblum,
Denver Post,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Since then, the larger culture has lurched rightward, with big corporations abandoning progressive signaling in favor of…other priorities.—
Alison Herman,
Variety,
25 Mar. 2026
-
Over the course of Mayor Brandon Johnson’s term, CPS has lurched from budget crisis to budget crisis, able only to muddle through due to record-breaking mayoral declarations of tax-increment-financing surpluses.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
11 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Bolden agreed to take less money, $22 million, but the trial judge ruled that Bolden deserves extra compensation to cover the time the case took to get to trial.—
Joe Mahr,
Chicago Tribune,
29 Mar. 2026
-
His death was ruled a suicide by New York City's medical examiner.—
Luc Cohen,
USA Today,
28 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Our team will continue exploring ways to reduce tick exposure that will benefit homeowners and affected communities.—
Emily Bache,
The Conversation,
31 Mar. 2026
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Still, the attack may have affected numerous software developers considering Axios’s reach.—
Michael Kan,
PC Magazine,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
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But the war with Iran has rocked markets, sending the Dow and Nasdaq into correction territory.—
John Towfighi,
CNN Money,
31 Mar. 2026
-
The horrific shooting has rocked the Plainville community, with its reverberations being felt throughout the state.—
Justin Muszynski,
Hartford Courant,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
This tool is governed by the AJC Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.—
AJC.com,
AJC.com,
26 Mar. 2026
-
The two cases involve similar situations but are governed by different states’ laws and case precedent.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
25 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Other honchos are not so convinced about going it aloe in Europe, however.—
Marta Balaga,
Variety,
28 Mar. 2026
-
Parents are even more convinced, studies show.—
Sonja Sharp,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Mar. 2026
Verb
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In our review of this model, we were impressed by its supertabloid sizing, up to 13 by 19 inches, and the output quality is stellar.—
K. Thor Jensen,
PC Magazine,
25 Mar. 2026
-
Burns’ 102-mph fastball and wipeout slider have been better pitches for him than his changeup, but the 23-year-old worked on the changeup this offseason and Stephenson, for one, has been impressed.—
C. Trent Rosecrans,
New York Times,
25 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Swayed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/swayed. Accessed 1 Apr. 2026.
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