SWAYS Synonyms: 179 Similar and Opposite Words

sways 1 of 2

noun

plural of sway

as in effects

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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Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in influences

the power to direct the thinking or behavior of others usually indirectly outdated attitudes that still hold sway in some communities

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in controls

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

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sways

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of sway

as in affects

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

as in lurches

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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as in governs

archaic to exercise authority or power over an epic novel set in the days when Rome swayed the Western world

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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 sways

Verb

Biff shouts at him at the show’s excruciating climax) sways between light and dark, between the road and the deadly shoulder, advancing through his last hours on earth as if through the stations of the cross. —

Sara Holdren, Vulture, 10 Apr. 2026 Sunday's vote was seen as a key test of whether the EU member nation stays on its liberal course or sways toward the right. —

ABC News, 23 Mar. 2026 Grips the microphone, sways her hips. —

Literary Hub, 16 Mar. 2026 What to Expect From ‘Reminders of Him’ The film barely sways from the book, which has sold more than 6 million copies, a decision Caswill says was intentional after reading the screenplay by Lauren Levine and Hoover. —

Anna Halkidis, Parents, 11 Mar. 2026 Williams turns his ear for propulsive and bombastic melodies onto traditional Japanese instrumentation, creating a work that sways between gentle, meditative themes for the titular geisha (Ziyi) and heart-pounding selections to fill out her chaotic, tragic life. —

Alex Galbraith, Entertainment Weekly, 15 Feb. 2026 In addition, the NFL argued that the NFLPA refused to share important information about its survey, including methodology such as whether the data is weighted or averaged, and how qualitative feedback sways results. —

Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 13 Feb. 2026 Look for a silhouette that has a little movement, like this wide-leg pair, for a cropped hemline that sways above loafers, sneakers, and ballet flats. —

Ariel Wodarcyk, InStyle, 6 Feb. 2026 That sways decisions from time-to-time. —

Mike Defabo, New York Times, 13 Jan. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for sways

Noun

But even as older viewers and opponents of the merger fret about corporate consolidation and its problematic effects on viewers, millions of Americans have already moved on to other forms of media.

— John Wenzel, Denver Post, 14 Apr. 2026
Although rare in modern economic history, its effects are often devastating—economically and socially.

— Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 14 Apr. 2026