as in profanity
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1
as in cursing
to use offensive or indecent language
no one is allowed to swear in this house
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in vowing
to make a solemn declaration of intent
swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in testifying
to make a solemn declaration under oath for the purpose of establishing a fact
the sworn statement of the witness was presented as evidence
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of swearing
Cayla Bamberger, New York Daily News, 26 Jan. 2026
Firefighters/EMTs Samuel Stevens and Benjamin Casillas took the oath of office during a swearing-in ceremony held Tuesday at the Hobart Fire Department.
—Deborah Laverty, Chicago Tribune, 21 Jan. 2026
An inaugural parade immediately followed the swearing-in ceremony.
—Josh Meyer, USA Today, 17 Jan. 2026
Park's swearing-in ceremony coincided with a proclamation recognizing the 123rd anniversary of Korean American Day, which will also be celebrated at the state capitol.
—Monique John, CBS News, 13 Jan. 2026
Sheffield was surrounded by family and a few close colleagues during her official swearing-in with City Clerk Janice Winfrey.
—Dana Afana, Freep.com, 9 Jan. 2026
At the National Assembly that day, more than a dozen journalists were detained while covering Rodríguez’s swearing-in.
—Stephania Taladrid, New Yorker, 7 Jan. 2026
That same day, Venezuelan security forces temporarily detained 14 journalists, including reporters who were covering the swearing-in of the country’s national assembly, according to the national press union.
—Michael Rios, CNN Money, 6 Jan. 2026
As New York City inaugurated its first Muslim mayor, two cities in the United States also made history with the swearing-in of their first Orthodox Jewish mayors.
—Grace Gilson, Sun Sentinel, 5 Jan. 2026
Melissa Willets, Parents, 26 Jan. 2026
The Milwaukee-area refugees passed their naturalization exams and were days away from swearing allegiance to the United States at an oath ceremony.
—Sophie Carson, jsonline.com, 14 Jan. 2026
Turns out, Storrie—who is very much Gen Z—fully embraced a makeup brands we Millennials have been swearing by for years.
—Gina Vaynshteyn, StyleCaster, 12 Jan. 2026
The swearing-in ceremony, expected to draw more than 1,000 people, will be held at the Milander Center, a venue not typically used for mayoral inaugurations.
—Verónica Egui Brito, Miami Herald, 12 Jan. 2026
When recipients questioned the caller, the caller responded by yelling and swearing at them, police said.
—Adam Harrington, CBS News, 11 Jan. 2026
Wilfried Singo dashed over to the bald man in an orange shirt who was shouting and swearing with excitement on the side of the pitch.
—Jay Harris, New York Times, 9 Jan. 2026
That doesn't mean your comment can't be casual or in your own words, but the council will almost always bar people from swearing or insulting others.
—Cate Charron, IndyStar, 30 Dec. 2025
This might help explain why a more individual New Year’s goal, such as losing 10 pounds by swearing off ice cream, may be more likely to fizzle.
—Valerie Trapp, The Atlantic, 30 Dec. 2025
Noun
Columbia eventually settled with the federal government to restart the funding under Claire Shipman, who until Mnookin’s swearing-in is expected to continue as acting president.
—Cayla Bamberger, New York Daily News, 26 Jan. 2026
Firefighters/EMTs Samuel Stevens and Benjamin Casillas took the oath of office during a swearing-in ceremony held Tuesday at the Hobart Fire Department.
—Deborah Laverty, Chicago Tribune, 21 Jan. 2026
An inaugural parade immediately followed the swearing-in ceremony.
—Josh Meyer, USA Today, 17 Jan. 2026
Park's swearing-in ceremony coincided with a proclamation recognizing the 123rd anniversary of Korean American Day, which will also be celebrated at the state capitol.
—Monique John, CBS News, 13 Jan. 2026
Sheffield was surrounded by family and a few close colleagues during her official swearing-in with City Clerk Janice Winfrey.
—Dana Afana, Freep.com, 9 Jan. 2026
At the National Assembly that day, more than a dozen journalists were detained while covering Rodríguez’s swearing-in.
—Stephania Taladrid, New Yorker, 7 Jan. 2026
That same day, Venezuelan security forces temporarily detained 14 journalists, including reporters who were covering the swearing-in of the country’s national assembly, according to the national press union.
—Michael Rios, CNN Money, 6 Jan. 2026
As New York City inaugurated its first Muslim mayor, two cities in the United States also made history with the swearing-in of their first Orthodox Jewish mayors.
—Grace Gilson, Sun Sentinel, 5 Jan. 2026
Verb
Still, in general, experts agree that many people find swearing rude and disrespectful, so with kids of any age, parents should do their best to model socially-acceptable language and discuss the potential present and future impact of using dicey words.
—Melissa Willets, Parents, 26 Jan. 2026
The Milwaukee-area refugees passed their naturalization exams and were days away from swearing allegiance to the United States at an oath ceremony.
—Sophie Carson, jsonline.com, 14 Jan. 2026
Turns out, Storrie—who is very much Gen Z—fully embraced a makeup brands we Millennials have been swearing by for years.
—Gina Vaynshteyn, StyleCaster, 12 Jan. 2026
The swearing-in ceremony, expected to draw more than 1,000 people, will be held at the Milander Center, a venue not typically used for mayoral inaugurations.
—Verónica Egui Brito, Miami Herald, 12 Jan. 2026
When recipients questioned the caller, the caller responded by yelling and swearing at them, police said.
—Adam Harrington, CBS News, 11 Jan. 2026
Wilfried Singo dashed over to the bald man in an orange shirt who was shouting and swearing with excitement on the side of the pitch.
—Jay Harris, New York Times, 9 Jan. 2026
That doesn't mean your comment can't be casual or in your own words, but the council will almost always bar people from swearing or insulting others.
—Cate Charron, IndyStar, 30 Dec. 2025
This might help explain why a more individual New Year’s goal, such as losing 10 pounds by swearing off ice cream, may be more likely to fizzle.
—Valerie Trapp, The Atlantic, 30 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for swearing
Noun
-
Sanders also bars profanity outside the meeting room and stressed the importance of being respectful of women.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
28 Jan. 2026
-
Sunday, the robber came up to a 23-year-old passenger on the train at the North/Clybourn station on the Near North Side, and yelled profanities at the passenger before punching him and taking his personal property, police said.—
Adam Harrington,
CBS News,
28 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Some made obscene gestures, and one held up a paper cursing the president.—
Josh Boak,
Los Angeles Times,
21 Jan. 2026
-
Just tied them all together in about a five-minute reel of me cursing a blue streak.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
12 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
The shooting of Pretti has led to national outrage, with Democrats vowing to withhold votes on Department of Homeland Security funding and conservative voices, like The Wall Street Journal editorial page, calling for a pause in ICE operations.—
Ted Johnson,
Deadline,
26 Jan. 2026
-
Trump entered office in 2017 vowing to right the injustices caused by liberal globalists.—
Michael Schuman,
The Atlantic,
26 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Gray, testifying for the government, went through Northstar’s dense general ledgers while on the witness stand and confirmed that Watson did not invest in nine of the projects in question and invested only small amounts in two other properties, rather than 5%.—
Justin Wingerter,
Denver Post,
28 Jan. 2026
-
Public hearings have been held in at least five cities, with residents testifying about monthly water bills reaching hundreds of dollars and, in some cases, far more during peak usage months.—
Nora O'Neill,
Charlotte Observer,
27 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Another young man, Mashal Khan, a university student and poet, was lynched by a mob of fellow students who accused him of blasphemy.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
27 Jan. 2026
-
As depicted in the movie, Lee was arrested multiple times for blasphemy and disturbing the peace.—
Patrick Ryan,
USA Today,
24 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The pastor seems to enjoy cussing, or half-cussing, while on the green.—
Sam Kestenbaum,
Vulture,
2 Jan. 2026
-
Many would consider cussing those law enforcement officers an act of rebellious patriotism.—
Tom Roland,
Billboard,
5 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
In contrast, Merck and J&J have shown steadier growth, driven by strong existing portfolios and promising pipelines.—
Trefis Team,
Forbes.com,
27 Jan. 2026
-
In one case, the daughter of a deceased follower recovered four hundred thousand dollars despite the fact that her mother had signed a pledge, at the age of eighty-six, promising not to seek a refund of her donations.—
E. Tammy Kim,
New Yorker,
26 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Apparently, my father approached the people hurling the insults and asked them to stop.—
Scott Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
29 Jan. 2026
-
The president also called Walz and Frey himself Monday after weeks of hurling insults and accusing the Democratic officials of inciting resistance to the crackdown.—
Dave Goldiner,
New York Daily News,
27 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Swearing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/swearing. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.
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