1
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in influences
the power to direct the thinking or behavior of others usually indirectly
outdated attitudes that still hold sway in some communities
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
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?"
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in governs
archaic
to exercise authority or power over
an epic novel set in the days when Rome swayed the Western world
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Charlotte Phillipp, PEOPLE, 15 Sep. 2025
As such, wardrobe styling and other modes of non-verbal communication — from raising an eyebrow or throwing a cutting look to the way one lights a cigarette or sways to a disco beat — were particularly key to creating character.
—Angelique Jackson, Variety, 14 Sep. 2025
The museum gets off with a bang by taking guests on a simulated trip to space in a high-tech elevator lined with pin-sharp ultra-HD screens and a floor which gently sways to simulate zero gravity.
—Caroline Reid, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2025
Yet, across the water, a seemingly impenetrable wall of the invasive plants sways in the wind, several feet tall.
—Adriana Pérez, Chicago Tribune, 31 Aug. 2025
The camera sways and various items around the room fall over.
—Joedy McCreary, USA TODAY, 6 Dec. 2024
The feeling of walking up to your property, putting the keys in the door but then the door just sways open.
—David Crown, Forbes, 4 Dec. 2024
There’s a canopy of old-growth oaks that sways amid strings of glowing baubles and glittering fleurs-de-lis.
—Caroline Rogers, Southern Living, 25 Nov. 2024
Verb
Hayley then flashes a strip of sonogram photos at the camera as the couple smiles and sways in the sunlight.
—Charlotte Phillipp, PEOPLE, 15 Sep. 2025
As such, wardrobe styling and other modes of non-verbal communication — from raising an eyebrow or throwing a cutting look to the way one lights a cigarette or sways to a disco beat — were particularly key to creating character.
—Angelique Jackson, Variety, 14 Sep. 2025
The museum gets off with a bang by taking guests on a simulated trip to space in a high-tech elevator lined with pin-sharp ultra-HD screens and a floor which gently sways to simulate zero gravity.
—Caroline Reid, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2025
Yet, across the water, a seemingly impenetrable wall of the invasive plants sways in the wind, several feet tall.
—Adriana Pérez, Chicago Tribune, 31 Aug. 2025
The camera sways and various items around the room fall over.
—Joedy McCreary, USA TODAY, 6 Dec. 2024
The feeling of walking up to your property, putting the keys in the door but then the door just sways open.
—David Crown, Forbes, 4 Dec. 2024
There’s a canopy of old-growth oaks that sways amid strings of glowing baubles and glittering fleurs-de-lis.
—Caroline Rogers, Southern Living, 25 Nov. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sways
Noun
-
This innovative installation may hold one of the keys to accelerating a transition away from fossil fuels that scientists say is necessary if the world is to avoid the worst effects of climate change.—
Jeff Young,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 Sep. 2025
-
Notably, this same mechanism underlies cocaine’s effects, highlighting its potency.—
Richard Menger MD MPA,
Forbes.com,
16 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Alan Faena collaborated with the Faena Design Team and Peter Mikic Studios to create interiors that weave Faena’s signature design with local influences that honor Manhattan’s energy.—
Devorah Lev-Tov,
AFAR Media,
15 Sep. 2025
-
How much of that comes from your own instincts versus borrowing from past or present influences?—
Rob Wolkenbrod,
Forbes.com,
15 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Modified plants grew two to three times heavier than controls.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
13 Sep. 2025
-
Ten years ago, several sites, including YouTube and Tumblr, also lacked guardrails and only added meaningful parental controls in recent years.—
Annabelle Canela,
Parents,
12 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Bush described this as a way to support employment, family ties, and stability, recognizing that reentry affects not just former prisoners but also public safety.—
Walter Pavlo,
Forbes.com,
13 Sep. 2025
-
Employers counter that the cost of providing what unions want adversely affects their competitiveness in other states and nations and forces them to raise prices, reduce employment or even leave California to remain solvent.—
Dan Walters,
Mercury News,
13 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
That film begins with charismatic bank robber Ryan Gosling in a thrilling motorcycle escape from the cops, and moves through several twists and turns, lurches forward in time, and holds Gosling at its heart as a man doing bad things for good reasons.—
Joe Reid,
Vulture,
8 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The sprawling facility is the nucleus for much of the US Air Force’s operations in the Middle East, and US Central Command, which governs American operations in the region, would view any unidentified incoming aircraft as a potential threat.—
Oren Liebermann,
CNN Money,
11 Sep. 2025
-
Carlson pressed him on what moral framework governs those decisions.—
Preston Fore,
Fortune,
11 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Like Kiko, the center of dozens of storms passed close enough to leave impacts from winds, rain and rough seas.—
Dinah Voyles Pulver,
USA Today,
11 Sep. 2025
-
More Spencer Platt/Getty Images In the days, weeks, and years that followed, survivors faced debilitating health impacts caused by the toxic ash that filled the Manhattan air.—
Andrew Garbarino,
MSNBC Newsweek,
11 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Subnet 34 leverages models built for Coalition for Content Provenance and Authenticity analysis to verify images and videos.—
Becca Bratcher,
Forbes.com,
9 Sep. 2025
-
FashFind leverages computer vision paired with machine learning algorithms to identify the unique attributes submitted products have—whether that’s color, fabric type, patterns, silhouette, length or otherwise.—
Meghan Hall,
Sourcing Journal,
8 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Sways.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sways. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share