1
2
as in to promise
to make a solemn declaration of intent
swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in curse
a disrespectful or indecent word or expression
can't you express your frustration without using swears?
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 swear
Brit McCandless Farmer, CBS News, 28 Feb. 2026
The judges cited Leavenworth officials’ sworn testimony as compelling evidence that CoreCivic should not be allowed to reopen without guarantees that conditions would be safer for inmates and employees than in the past.
—Matthew Kelly
february 27, Kansas City Star, 27 Feb. 2026
Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 12 Dec. 2025
Visitors of years past swear by their trick-or-treating hauls from these affluent neighborhoods, specifically the homes of Marissa Meyer (Professorville), Mark Zuckerberg (Crescent Park) and Larry Page and Laurene Powell Jobs (Old Palo Alto).
—John Metcalfe, Mercury News, 21 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for swear
Verb
Wallace asked Rafsanjani to swear on Allah that his country was not in pursuit of a nuclear weapon.
—Brit McCandless Farmer, CBS News, 28 Feb. 2026
The judges cited Leavenworth officials’ sworn testimony as compelling evidence that CoreCivic should not be allowed to reopen without guarantees that conditions would be safer for inmates and employees than in the past.
—Matthew Kelly
february 27, Kansas City Star, 27 Feb. 2026
Noun
Some swear by using coffee grounds to give their Christmas cactus encouragement during the blooming season.
—Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 12 Dec. 2025
Visitors of years past swear by their trick-or-treating hauls from these affluent neighborhoods, specifically the homes of Marissa Meyer (Professorville), Mark Zuckerberg (Crescent Park) and Larry Page and Laurene Powell Jobs (Old Palo Alto).
—John Metcalfe, Mercury News, 21 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for swear
Recent Examples of Synonyms for swear
Verb
-
Is there something tainted or cursed about this place?—
Kennedy French,
Variety,
4 Mar. 2026
-
That person is then cursed and slated for murder.—
Tiney Ricciardi,
Denver Post,
3 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Iranian attacks against Gulf States have persisted, even after President Masoud Pezeshkian promised not to do so, according to a report from the Institute for the Study of War.—
Robert Stewart,
The Washington Examiner,
8 Mar. 2026
-
Italy promised defense systems to Gulf nations.—
Robin Wright,
New Yorker,
8 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Garcia testified that at the burn scar, no one raised any concerns with him about the hose pickup.—
Alene Tchekmedyian,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Mar. 2026
-
With public hearings on three of the year’s most controversial topics, hundreds of concerned residents traveled to the state Capitol complex Wednesday to testify on legislation concerning homeschooling, vaccines, and gun control.—
Christopher Keating,
Hartford Courant,
11 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
And, when the alarm wails hours before dawn, human cusses of angry protest join the chorus of budget appliances failing before their time.—
Virginia Konchan,
The New Yorker,
30 Sep. 2024
-
My grandmother extended a ladder up into this tough old cuss of a tree and climbed up, at some risk, to pick the bulging fruit.—
Jim Meddleton,
The Christian Science Monitor,
1 May 2024
Verb
-
How to say anything about The Changeling without blaspheming its deep mystery, its reverence for the unspeakable, animal heart of creation?—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 Feb. 2026
-
Watching Rome, Shiv, and Ken attempt to battle, scrape, and betray their way into their father’s heart—and, conversely, seeing Logan withhold, meter out, and blaspheme his version of love back at them—propelled Succession through four glorious seasons.—
John Ortved,
Vogue,
29 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The Iranian regime had vowed retribution after Khamenei’s death.—
Ishaan Tharoor,
New Yorker,
6 Mar. 2026
-
Selig has even vowed to defend Kalshi in court in the face of states suing the company for violating state gambling laws.—
Bobby Allyn,
NPR,
6 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The damning revelations shed light on the AI industry’s reliance on overseas labor for data labeling to train their models, a hidden reality glossed over in marketing materials by one of the biggest tech companies in the world.—
Victor Tangermann,
Futurism,
5 Mar. 2026
-
For a team steeped in history, this type of milestone is both damning and baffling.—
Julia Poe,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Chinese tech giant Alibaba pledged additional resources in order to accelerate development of foundational AI models, after a third top executive left the company amid signs the country’s technological push is facing obstacles.—
Prashant Rao,
semafor.com,
6 Mar. 2026
-
To be sure, the industry had already made efforts preceding the White House pledge to reduce costs for households.—
Eric Schmidt,
Fortune,
6 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Swear.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/swear. Accessed 13 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
