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 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 The weather service said waves are at normal levels, with the swells that caused hazards earlier this summer no longer in play. — Rick Hurd, Mercury News, 21 Aug. 2026 During heavy winter swells, waves 20 to 30 feet high can slam against the cliffs. — Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 18 Aug. 2026 Experts have long said Southern California’s sand predominantly migrates south; however, a closer look shows that slow summer swells and other seasonal conditions sometimes push smaller amounts of sediment north. — Phil Diehl, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 Aug. 2026 O’Shea said the El Niño pattern, combined with swells, could produce elevated surf throughout the summer. — Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 1 Aug. 2026 The hurricane center said swells generated by Fausto could cause life-threatening surf and rip tides in parts of southern California. — ABC News, 24 July 2026

Verb

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 But swells from the south could reach the Central Coast and Bay Area. — Los Angeles Times, 2 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 Out over the eastern Pacific ocean, the mixture is leading to a rise in the ocean swells, and that could affect the region by the weekend. — Rick Hurd, Mercury News, 24 Aug. 2026 Video shared by the navy shows a large turquoise box with the two men inside bobbing in dark ocean swells as rescue crews move in. — Diego Mendoza, CNN Money, 21 Aug. 2026 Storm surge, swells and large waves will also be significant hazards irrespective of landfall. — Marshall Shepherd, Forbes.com, 15 Aug. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for swells

Noun

In a statement, the companies cited McKinsey projections expecting AI agents will handle $3 trillion to $5 trillion of global consumer commerce by 2030.

— Evelyn Cheng, CNBC, 10 Sep. 2026
Private funding, along with projections for ticket sales and other revenue generated onsite, will round out Kanal’s budget.

— Devorah Lauter, ARTnews.com, 10 Sep. 2026

Definition of projections

Verb

Banks are happy to oblige, issuing loans and credit with high interest rates to low-income individuals with questionable credit ratings, which increases the likelihood of loan defaults and bankruptcies.

— Eric Khant, Sun Sentinel, 8 Sep. 2026
Goldman said that its best-case scenario places Brent in the $60-per-barrel range in 2027, but only if oil production in the Persian Gulf increases by 1 million barrels a day above its pre-war levels.

— Aimee Picchi, CBS News, 8 Sep. 2026

Definition of increases

Verb

Its value becomes visible when delivery accelerates and engineering capacity expands without weakening architecture, quality standards or ownership.

— Boris Kontsevoi, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2026
All of those companies have been massive winners for investors this year, with HPE and AMD more than doubling in value and Intel almost tripling, as the artificial infrastructure buildout expands to companies beyond Nvidia.

— Isabel O'Brien, CNBC, 8 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

Mountain peaks and slopes could see gusts reaching hurricane force, as the islands’ terrain accelerates the winds.

— Tyler Ory, CNN Money, 6 Sep. 2026
Her new employer is preparing to spend billions building computing capacity as demand for AI infrastructure accelerates.

— Sheryl Estrada, Fortune, 3 Sep. 2026