1
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in increases
to become greater in extent, volume, amount, or number
the club membership has really swelled in recent months
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in expands
to make greater in size, amount, or number
more layoffs will swell the ranks of the unemployed to unprecedented levels
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in protrudes
to extend outward beyond a usual point
at that point the Congo River swells and forms Malebo Pool
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of swells
Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 5 Apr. 2026
Just offshore, 50 surfers caught swells.
—Letters To The Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 4 Apr. 2026
Only 2200 of them remain, having staved off swells of economic uncertainty, retaining their Irish accents and ways of life.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 Apr. 2026
When combined with mega high tides and big swells, waves may batter beaches, causing severe erosion.
—Laylan Connelly, Oc Register, 27 Mar. 2026
But rather than big Hawaiian swells, these waves were the crashing sounds of social media users poking fun at the look of the upcoming Disney film.
—Angelique Jackson, Variety, 26 Mar. 2026
The water in Tomales Bay, a narrow inlet northeast of Point Reyes, was choppy Saturday, with swells as high as 3 feet, the sheriff’s statement said.
—Alyce McFadden, San Francisco Chronicle, 23 Mar. 2026
Outside those emotional swells, the family was relieved to be together, and free of the dread that had hung over them in New York.
—Caitlin Dickerson, The Atlantic, 3 Mar. 2026
From familiar orchestral swells to ritualized envelope openings, Hollywood’s annual night at the Dolby is uniquely suited for nocturnal drifting.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 27 Feb. 2026
Literary Hub, 14 Apr. 2026
The Massachusetts lawmaker is part of a growing chorus of voices in Washington calling for stronger oversight of these betting platforms as interest swells.
—Alex Harring, CNBC, 4 Apr. 2026
My throat kind of swells on the inside sometimes.
—Chanel Vargas, InStyle, 2 Apr. 2026
That was expected to be the last remaining obstacle to the world's biggest sporting event arriving in this 20,000-person suburb tucked between Boston and Providence, Rhode Island, that swells to three times its size for New England Patriots games.
—ABC News, 26 Mar. 2026
The noise of your life recedes and a surge of connectedness and gratitude swells inside of you.
—Outside Online, 18 Mar. 2026
Irene makes an evil smile and heads out as the music swells.
—Jordan Hoffman, Entertainment Weekly, 16 Mar. 2026
Unlike the sleek mansions lining much of California’s shoreline, this unassuming house has always felt like something out of a fisherman’s tale—shrouded in salt spray as swells crash against the rocks below.
—Jennifer Fernandez, Architectural Digest, 6 Mar. 2026
Hot stones are added, one by one, as the air inside gets heavier, the heat searing the nose and the throat, the sweat starting in rivulets that turn into streams as the smell gets more intense, the heartbeat swells, the mind races.
—Brian Moylan, Vulture, 5 Mar. 2026
Noun
Only the swells from the clusters of UConn fans could be heard by the end of their 71-62 victory in the national semifinals.
—Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 5 Apr. 2026
Just offshore, 50 surfers caught swells.
—Letters To The Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 4 Apr. 2026
Only 2200 of them remain, having staved off swells of economic uncertainty, retaining their Irish accents and ways of life.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 Apr. 2026
When combined with mega high tides and big swells, waves may batter beaches, causing severe erosion.
—Laylan Connelly, Oc Register, 27 Mar. 2026
But rather than big Hawaiian swells, these waves were the crashing sounds of social media users poking fun at the look of the upcoming Disney film.
—Angelique Jackson, Variety, 26 Mar. 2026
The water in Tomales Bay, a narrow inlet northeast of Point Reyes, was choppy Saturday, with swells as high as 3 feet, the sheriff’s statement said.
—Alyce McFadden, San Francisco Chronicle, 23 Mar. 2026
Outside those emotional swells, the family was relieved to be together, and free of the dread that had hung over them in New York.
—Caitlin Dickerson, The Atlantic, 3 Mar. 2026
From familiar orchestral swells to ritualized envelope openings, Hollywood’s annual night at the Dolby is uniquely suited for nocturnal drifting.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 27 Feb. 2026
Verb
Her voice swells, filling the chamber like steam.
—Literary Hub, 14 Apr. 2026
The Massachusetts lawmaker is part of a growing chorus of voices in Washington calling for stronger oversight of these betting platforms as interest swells.
—Alex Harring, CNBC, 4 Apr. 2026
My throat kind of swells on the inside sometimes.
—Chanel Vargas, InStyle, 2 Apr. 2026
That was expected to be the last remaining obstacle to the world's biggest sporting event arriving in this 20,000-person suburb tucked between Boston and Providence, Rhode Island, that swells to three times its size for New England Patriots games.
—ABC News, 26 Mar. 2026
The noise of your life recedes and a surge of connectedness and gratitude swells inside of you.
—Outside Online, 18 Mar. 2026
Irene makes an evil smile and heads out as the music swells.
—Jordan Hoffman, Entertainment Weekly, 16 Mar. 2026
Unlike the sleek mansions lining much of California’s shoreline, this unassuming house has always felt like something out of a fisherman’s tale—shrouded in salt spray as swells crash against the rocks below.
—Jennifer Fernandez, Architectural Digest, 6 Mar. 2026
Hot stones are added, one by one, as the air inside gets heavier, the heat searing the nose and the throat, the sweat starting in rivulets that turn into streams as the smell gets more intense, the heartbeat swells, the mind races.
—Brian Moylan, Vulture, 5 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for swells
Noun
-
Neither public sector employees nor anyone else will really benefit when New York ends up billions of dollars in the hole partly as a result of overly rosy long-term projections and unsustainable promises.—
New York Daily News Editorial Board,
New York Daily News,
19 Apr. 2026
-
In dry periods under that plan, Lakes Powell and Mead could fall below minimum power pool 30% to 40% of the time, according to Bureau of Reclamation projections.—
Elise Schmelzer,
Denver Post,
19 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The eye-catching structure is made up of rippling waves of floor-to-ceiling glass windows, giving the front-facing rooms semi-circle window nooks from which to take in the panoramic city views.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
21 Apr. 2026
-
Some states weaponized vouchers to resist integration, and this scheme began making waves across the American South in the 1950s and ’60s.—
Erykah Nava,
Chicago Tribune,
21 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
According to this law, heat always flows from a hotter to a cooler object, which in turn increases that cooler object’s entropy.—
Stephanie Pappas,
Scientific American,
21 Apr. 2026
-
The project increases Georgia’s already strong presence in the growing defense industry.—
AJ Willingham,
AJC.com,
21 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Choose the path that expands your world.—
Tarot.com,
Hartford Courant,
17 Apr. 2026
-
This amazing project significantly expands our ability to accomplish our mission, to stimulate curiosity and inspire science learning in everyone, on a scale and with an impact unlike anything in our history.—
Staff report,
Daily News,
16 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Part of it protrudes from the exterior, with natural airflow helping keep the food inside chilled.—
Adam Williams
March 29,
New Atlas,
29 Mar. 2026
-
The lone camera is a single round lens that protrudes from the upper-left corner of the rear panel.—
Eric Zeman,
PC Magazine,
9 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Scientists usually expect the central bulges of elliptical galaxies to form rapidly and thus be dominated by low-mass stars.—
Robert Lea,
Space.com,
14 Apr. 2026
-
The tree is resting on wires as the root of the tree bulges up from the ground along William Penn Highway, a major roadway in the county.—
Mamie Bah,
CBS News,
14 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
When demand rises, so will supply, advocates say, and the economies of scale will kick in and help lower upfront prices.—
Katie Kilkenny,
HollywoodReporter,
22 Apr. 2026
-
As war burns across England, an army of commoners rises to face the King’s might in a fight for justice and survival, led by Garfield’s protagonist.—
Anthony D'Alessandro,
Deadline,
22 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
This external stripping accelerates the heating and expansion of the dwarf galaxy, nudging it toward that dynamical attractor even faster.—
Paul Sutter,
Space.com,
20 Apr. 2026
-
That is changing as Japan accelerates a buildup of its military and defense industry to play more offensive roles in the face of threats from China, North Korea and Russia.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
20 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Swells.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/swells. Accessed 23 Apr. 2026.
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