SWELLS Synonyms: 189 Similar and Opposite Words

swells 1 of 2

noun

plural of swell

as in projections

a part that sticks out from the general mass of something the graceful swell of the bottle was meant to be evocative of the female figure

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as in waves

a moving ridge on the surface of water huge swells overwhelmed the tiny craft

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swells

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of swell

as in increases

to become greater in extent, volume, amount, or number the club membership has really swelled in recent months

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as in expands

to make greater in size, amount, or number more layoffs will swell the ranks of the unemployed to unprecedented levels

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as in protrudes

to extend outward beyond a usual point at that point the Congo River swells and forms Malebo Pool

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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 swells

Noun

The hurricanes are not expected to hit California but could send swells toward the California coast as early as Sunday, forecasters have told The Times. — Iris Kwok, Los Angeles Times, 25 Sep. 2026 The surf-worthy Pacific swells provide excellent conditions for paddling out and riding waves. — Staff Author, Travel + Leisure, 17 Sep. 2026 The remnants of that storm also are causing big swells of waves in the ocean, and those are expected to keep having an impact on Bay Area beaches. — Rick Hurd, Mercury News, 8 Sep. 2026 The storm could generate strong swells for portions of Mexico’s southwestern coast and Baja California through the weekend, and perhaps Southern California, too, according to the hurricane center. — Denise Chow, NBC news, 4 Sep. 2026 Depending on the exact track of the storm, these swells are likely to increase early next week. — Doyle Rice, USA Today, 3 Sep. 2026 Additionally, life-threatening surf and rip currents are expected from swells generated by the depression. — Marshall Shepherd, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026

Verb

On Wednesday afternoon, the National Weather Service in Los Angeles was forecasting elevated surf and strong rip currents at beaches this weekend and into next week as a result of multiple southerly swells. — Iris Kwok, Los Angeles Times, 22 Sep. 2026 The space suddenly swells with agents, assistants, clients and others shuffling through for lunch. — Oren Peleg, HollywoodReporter, 14 Sep. 2026 The impact jostled loose a few petals before the circle of blossoms slowly drifted away on the luminescent blue Bermudian swells. — Literary Hub, 11 Sep. 2026 How levees work Levees are earthen embankments positioned parallel to a river that effectively raise the height of the banks of the river to prevent overflow when the river swells. — Kaleigh Yost, The Conversation, 10 Sep. 2026 Although no coastal watches or warnings were in effect, swells generated by Marie will continue to affect portions of southwest Mexico, the Baja California peninsula and Southern California for the next few days, the hurricane center said. — ABC News, 6 Sep. 2026 The chassis swells slightly to accommodate its nine-function toolset but still measures in with a length and width TJB compares to a pack of gum – and not one of those big desktop canisters, either. — New Atlas, 1 Sep. 2026 While the hurricane is not expected to make landfall, swells created by the hurricane could affect the coast of southwest Mexico and Baja California, as well as Southern California, per the National Hurricane Center. — Julia Gomez, USA Today, 31 Aug. 2026 In her twenties, the compositions began to rise and fall on the page like ocean swells. — Laura Preston, New Yorker, 30 Aug. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for swells

Noun

While something like the Mercator or Equal Earth projections would both make sense for a map related to Apollo, neither excels at depicting the poles, as their treatment of Antarctica attests.

— Meghan Bartels, Space.com, 22 Sep. 2026
The projections were based on exit polls and partial counting for ARD television.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 21 Sep. 2026

Definition of projections

Noun

Hatchlings emerge from their eggs with a temporary store of energy from the yolk sac that powers their first trip past breaking waves into the sea.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 25 Sep. 2026
Kate styled her long chestnut-colored hair in a half-up, half-down ‘do with soft waves and wore rosy makeup.

— Christina Perrier, InStyle, 25 Sep. 2026

Definition of waves

Verb

This lowers the cost of the trade and increases the position's theoretical probability of profit to ~56%.

— Julia Spina, CNBC, 22 Sep. 2026
That means people who get vaccinated in September or October should generally have protection in place as flu activity increases later in the fall and winter.

— Angela Rodriguez, Sacbee.com, 22 Sep. 2026

Definition of increases

Verb

The Debrecen plant adds another major manufacturing location as CATL expands its production footprint closer to European vehicle manufacturers.

— Sujita Sinha, Interesting Engineering, 23 Sep. 2026
Whether Wild’s Target shelf presence expands beyond its initial nationwide rollout into additional SKUs or premium placement.

— Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 21 Sep. 2026

Definition of expands

Verb

Anything that protrudes above the shallow, insulating snow cover is more prone to being damaged by the cold and wind or eaten by wildlife, said plant ecologist Anne Bjorkman of the University of Gothenburg in Sweden.

— ABC News, ABC News, 25 Aug. 2026
Other animals on-site include a stable full of horses and Cowboy the tortoise, who is about the size of a lawnmower and whose head protrudes from what looks like a Venus flytrap made of bone.

— Emma Madden, Los Angeles Times, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of protrudes

Noun

Bra bands that dig in and have minimal side coverage can create bulges under your tops and dresses, but this under-$20 Warners style does the opposite, according to shoppers.

— Jeaneen Russell, PEOPLE, 2 Sep. 2026
During matches earlier this year, bulges could be seen in the shoulder seams on jerseys for teams including France and Uruguay, the Guardian reported.

— Claire Rush, Fortune, 28 June 2026

Definition of bulges

Verb

Smoke rises from the area of the Russian oil producer Gazprom Neft's Moscow oil refinery as seen from Dzerzhinsky in the Moscow region on September 20, 2026.

— Sam Meredith, CNBC, 21 Sep. 2026
The upper floor has roughly 11-foot ceilings, while the main level rises to about 14 feet, according to the listing information.

— David Caraccio, Sacbee.com, 19 Sep. 2026

Definition of rises

Verb

That's changed as the company accelerates development of its Vectis CCA by adding four more prototypes to the fleet.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 20 Sep. 2026
Store sourdough in a cool, dry place (60–70°F) and avoid refrigeration, which accelerates staling.

— Karla Walsh, Better Homes & Gardens, 19 Sep. 2026