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
David Garrick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Jan. 2026
Millennials, resolute in their fatigue, are less swayed by surface-level marketing and more attuned to what actually makes work sustainable.
—Jasmine Browley, Forbes.com, 23 Jan. 2026
With multiple offers in free agency, Kyle Tucker was ultimately swayed by the Los Angeles Dodgers’ championship pedigree.
—Beth Harris, Chicago Tribune, 22 Jan. 2026
Some school board members were swayed by the speakers’ complaints and floated potential solutions, like fundraising $500,000 to cover costs or getting sponsorships from local businesses.
—Amanda Rosa, Miami Herald, 22 Jan. 2026
Investors weren't swayed by the pitch.
—Alexei Oreskovic, Fortune, 21 Jan. 2026
Still, not everyone was swayed by the tweets.
—Alejandra Gularte, Vulture, 20 Jan. 2026
After five years, I was swayed to have a little bit more fun.
—Emily Kelleher, InStyle, 20 Jan. 2026
Don’t be swayed by the self-congratulatory rhetoric.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 9 Jan. 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
The poll, sponsored by the Union-Tribune and 10News, found that only a relatively small portion of residents were swayed by arguments from the mayor and council that revenue from the fees is needed to avoid budget cuts.
—David Garrick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Jan. 2026
Millennials, resolute in their fatigue, are less swayed by surface-level marketing and more attuned to what actually makes work sustainable.
—Jasmine Browley, Forbes.com, 23 Jan. 2026
With multiple offers in free agency, Kyle Tucker was ultimately swayed by the Los Angeles Dodgers’ championship pedigree.
—Beth Harris, Chicago Tribune, 22 Jan. 2026
Some school board members were swayed by the speakers’ complaints and floated potential solutions, like fundraising $500,000 to cover costs or getting sponsorships from local businesses.
—Amanda Rosa, Miami Herald, 22 Jan. 2026
Investors weren't swayed by the pitch.
—Alexei Oreskovic, Fortune, 21 Jan. 2026
Still, not everyone was swayed by the tweets.
—Alejandra Gularte, Vulture, 20 Jan. 2026
After five years, I was swayed to have a little bit more fun.
—Emily Kelleher, InStyle, 20 Jan. 2026
Don’t be swayed by the self-congratulatory rhetoric.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 9 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for swayed
Verb
-
Longer-term rates, like mortgage rates, are more influenced by inflation and other economic factors.—
Jessica Dickler,
CNBC,
30 Jan. 2026
-
As a teen-ager, Libby was influenced by Aaron Sorkin and Annie Baker, a real Devil-on-one-shoulder, angel-on-the-other situation.—
Emily Nussbaum,
New Yorker,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The relentless Chacon lurched outside after her just as his car door opened and out popped their 6-year-old son, begging his dad to stop.—
Theresa Braine,
New York Daily News,
7 Jan. 2026
-
New year optimism was certainly in short supply inside Anfield as the mood lurched from restlessness to exasperation and then anger.—
James Pearce,
New York Times,
2 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner first ruled his death an apparent suicide.—
Charna Flam,
PEOPLE,
8 Jan. 2026
-
But the Florida Supreme Court in 2017 ruled the new law was unconstitutional, saying jury verdicts needed to be unanimous.—
Grethel Aguila,
Miami Herald,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
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At least three people who were on the firm’s private credit team prior to the purchase are among those affected, according to people with knowledge of the matter.—
Olivia Fishlow,
Bloomberg,
27 Jan. 2026
-
The brand also heard repeatedly from working women and moms who described how prolonged sitting or postpartum changes affected their hip shape, yet most jeans simply mirrored those changes instead of offering support.—
Angela Velasquez,
Sourcing Journal,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The fallout continues from the aggressive tactics of federal agents in Minnesota, with bipartisan calls for accountability after the state was rocked by two fatal shootings this month.—
Phaedra Trethan,
USA Today,
27 Jan. 2026
-
So while the market will pay close attention to interest rate developments and indications, much of the scrutiny will go toward the ancillary events that have rocked the central bank.—
Jeff Cox,
CNBC,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The southern United States under the Jim Crow system of segregation, for example, was governed by a form of racial fascism premised not on a single powerful leader, but on decentralized groups of vigilantes and terrorists.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
30 Jan. 2026
-
Historically speaking, the era that inspired Julia Quinn to write eight Bridgerton books was governed by countless rules governing courtship.—
Emma Banks,
InStyle,
29 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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The men, wearing dark civilian clothes and balaclavas, seemed convinced that these unfamiliar fillings posed a threat to their operational security.—
Elizabeth Tsurkov,
The Atlantic,
11 Jan. 2026
-
At this point, Anna becomes convinced that Lexy/Catherine is the murderer seeking revenge.—
Caroline Blair,
PEOPLE,
10 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
While the end result impressed onlookers, getting the system working took significant effort.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
28 Jan. 2026
-
Deadline hears its an ensemble piece led by Goth, who originally was earmarked for a supporting role but impressed Triet so much she was offered the lead, with Janney and Scott also in bigger parts.—
Justin Kroll,
Deadline,
27 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Swayed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/swayed. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.
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