as in sweat
a state of nervous or irritated concern
the set designer spent the entire week before opening night in a swelter
Synonyms & Similar Words
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as in to melt
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of swelter
Caity Weaver, The Atlantic, 8 Oct. 2025
The fire comes as parts of the West Coast swelter under a heat wave.
—Jack Moore, ABC News, 23 Aug. 2025
Deanna Romano, Condé Nast Traveler, 3 Jan. 2026
People hired by the contractors wear extensive protective equipment in the sweltering humidity and must have their blood tested regularly for dioxin.
—Anna Maria Barry-Jester, ProPublica, 30 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for swelter
Noun
Its living room rapidly reached the swelter and volume of a blacksmith’s forge operating as a front for an unlicensed tavern.
—Caity Weaver, The Atlantic, 8 Oct. 2025
The fire comes as parts of the West Coast swelter under a heat wave.
—Jack Moore, ABC News, 23 Aug. 2025
Verb
Avoid summer, which brings sweltering heat with little shade and peak accommodation prices, or winter, as many guesthouses close in December and January.
—Deanna Romano, Condé Nast Traveler, 3 Jan. 2026
People hired by the contractors wear extensive protective equipment in the sweltering humidity and must have their blood tested regularly for dioxin.
—Anna Maria Barry-Jester, ProPublica, 30 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for swelter
Recent Examples of Synonyms for swelter
Noun
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The bus ride home was hot and smelled of sweat and stale cigarettes.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
20 Mar. 2026
-
Carroll keeper Graham Byrne did not have to break up much of a sweat as the contest was mostly played with Legacy on the defense.—
Ishmael Johnson,
Dallas Morning News,
20 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Atlanta's checkpoint wait time spiked as high as 90 minutes on Saturday morning before melting away to nothing in the afternoon on what is typically one of the slowest days of the week for air travel.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
22 Mar. 2026
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The lightweight formula blends grapeseed, olive, sunflower, and camellia oils to melt away sunscreen, makeup, and excess sebum while keeping skin soft and hydrated.—
Christa Joanna Lee,
Allure,
21 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Some are panic-buying walkie-talkies, paper maps, and even pagers.—
Nathan Hodge,
CNN Money,
21 Mar. 2026
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After the overnight speculative panic from a fortnight ago that shot oil prices across the board to nearly $120 per barrel in the early premarket trading hours of March 9, oil prices quickly settled back down to $100.—
Tiana Lowe Doescher,
The Washington Examiner,
20 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Across the four days of scorching temperatures, 40 daily high temperature records were broken, the NWS said.—
Sierra van der Brug,
Oc Register,
21 Mar. 2026
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This unseasonable March streak of scorching heat is not only notable in its intensity, but also in its duration and its scale.—
Clara Harter,
Los Angeles Times,
20 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Among agonized grunts and huffs, Probst narrated the fumbles.—
Sarah Grant,
New Yorker,
2 Feb. 2026
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David walks out of the kitchen and Moira huffs and takes his spot over the pot.—
Sabrina Weiss,
PEOPLE,
31 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Bring 1 cup dry white wine to a simmer in reserved pot over medium-high heat; cook until reduced by half, about 4 minutes.—
Rebecca Firkser,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
23 Mar. 2026
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The menu is still being worked on, but people can expect to see sushi, ramen and other Japanese dishes, including hibachi — although it will be brought from the kitchen, not cooked in front of you, according to Ananthapadmanabhan.—
R. Christian Smith,
Chicago Tribune,
23 Mar. 2026
Noun
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One is beautiful and famous the world over; the other is even more beautiful yet content not to have to put up with all the fuss and attention.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
26 Mar. 2026
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When the intruder enters the nest, there's no aggression or fuss.—
Ari Daniel,
NPR,
18 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Arrange in a single layer and roast until potatoes are just fork-tender and starting to brown, 45–55 minutes.—
Jesse Szewczyk,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
23 Mar. 2026
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Cover dish tightly with foil and roast 1 hour or until garlic is very soft and almost creamy in texture.—
C.W. Cameron,
AJC.com,
22 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Swelter.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/swelter. Accessed 26 Mar. 2026.
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