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outdated attitudes that still hold sway in some communities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
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Recent Examples of sways
Dan Hayes, New York Times, 29 Sep. 2025
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
Verb
One call sways the difference of the game.
—Dan Hayes, New York Times, 29 Sep. 2025
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
-
LogoPowered byScale logo As the federal government shutdown has dragged into its seventh day, questions remain around how long-lasting the effects of service suspensions and funding cuts could be.—
Miranda Jeyaretnam,
Time,
8 Oct. 2025
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Perhaps the most compelling evidence of the therapy’s potential lies in its long-term therapeutic effects.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
7 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The lines get thicker and wigglier and curvier, the drawings denser and more explosive, closer to comic artists such as Aline Kominsky-Crumb and Julie Doucet, both of whom DiMassa cites as influences in her interview in the new collection.—
Jo Livingstone,
New Yorker,
6 Oct. 2025
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The study, which has enrolled more than 3,000 centenarians over its 30-year history, has been exploring the genetic factors, lifestyle choices, and environmental influences that appear to play a role in the longevity of people who live to 100 and beyond.—
Dominique Mosbergen,
Time,
2 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
To implement explicit content settings, turn on or off parental controls in device settings.—
Melina Khan,
USA Today,
3 Oct. 2025
-
Consequently, every knowledge worker must adopt a risk management mindset, constantly assessing the potential blast radius of their prompts and acting as a steward of their company’s data, controls, and compliance obligations.—
Marco Argenti,
Time,
2 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Dane revealed that he was diagnosed with ALS, a neurodegenerative disease that affects the motor neurons in the brain and spinal cord, in April.—
Jessica Wang,
Entertainment Weekly,
3 Oct. 2025
-
Jones could keep operating his platform even while facing direct collection efforts, which affects employees, vendors, and business partners caught in the crossfire.—
Robert Alexander,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Despite that notable change, watching One Battle After Another is much like the experience of reading Pynchon, who lurches from high comedy to stomach-turning naturalism and punctuates plot-heavy sequences with little grace notes of character portraiture.—
Paul A. Thompson,
Pitchfork,
24 Sep. 2025
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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 Palestinian Authority, which governs the occupied West Bank, has not held presidential or parliamentary elections in nearly two decades.—
Tim Lister,
CNN Money,
1 Oct. 2025
-
The Princess of Wales, 43, shared her well-wishes for England amid the final of the 2025 Women's Rugby World Cup over the weekend as patron of the Rugby Football Union, which governs the game in England.—
Stephanie Petit,
PEOPLE,
29 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Wisconsin tribal officials are preparing for potential impacts from a federal government shutdown.—
Frank Vaisvilas,
jsonline.com,
3 Oct. 2025
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The mass deployment of technologies that these minerals make possible—fleets of electric cars; flocks of wind turbines; a cleaner energy grid—may be imperative if our society is to reduce its reliance on fossil fuels and thereby avoid the most devastating impacts of climate change.—
Scott W. Stern,
The Atlantic,
2 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Another example is msg Global Solutions AG, whose Greenwashing Detector solution leverages generative AI to validate reports and detect potential greenwashing.—
Sophia Mendelsohn,
Forbes.com,
17 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 10 Oct. 2025.
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