swim 1 of 2

verb

ˈswim How to pronounce swim (audio)
Definition of swimnext
1
as in to spin
to be in a confused state as if from being twirled around his head was swimming after he was given so much information on his first day at the new job

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to sail
to rest or move along the surface of a liquid or in the air there appeared to be an oily film swimming on the water

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

swim

2 of 2

noun

as in trance
a temporary state of unconsciousness the merest glimpse of blood sends him into a swim

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 swim
Verb
Before 2024, swimming in the Seine had been banned for about a century because of poor water quality. — ABC News, 4 July 2026 The couple also posted a clip of dolphins swimming alongside their boat during the trip. — Escher Walcott, PEOPLE, 4 July 2026
Noun
Research shows that swim lessons that are designed to meet the individual needs of autistic children and offer one-on-one support in a group setting successfully improve their swimming skills. — Tana Carson, The Conversation, 17 July 2026 These semiconductor parts makers had always been sink-or-swim. — Jim Cramer, Contributor, CNBC, 16 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for swim
Recent Examples of Synonyms for swim
  1. spin
  2. sail
  3. trance
  4. float
  5. daze
  6. hover
  7. faint
  8. ride
Verb
  • In a move first reported by The Athletic, Philadelphia initially reached out to Paul when Gansey and general manager Jameer Nelson spun the trade that brought Jaylen Brown to the Sixers from the Boston Celtics.
    — Tony Jones, New York Times, 14 July 2026
  • Their powerful magnetic fields channel beams of radiation from their magnetic poles that sweep across space as the stars spin, much like the beam of a lighthouse.
    — Samantha Mathewson, Space.com, 14 July 2026
Definition of spin
Verb
  • From time to time, Li Shan would offer Noe a sum impressive to a fisherman to sail his lugger—a forty-foot vessel made for the shallower waters of home into the Gulf to meet a ship bound for New Orleans.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 16 July 2026
  • Twice England’s post was struck but when Enzo Fernández’s sublime strike sailed past Jordan Pickford in the 85th minute, there only ever felt like one winner.
    — Aleks Klosok, CNN Money, 15 July 2026
Definition of sail
Noun
  • Other pieces are more indebted to various forms of trance music found around the globe.
    — Dash Lewis, Pitchfork, 13 July 2026
  • Unlike in Cutud, participants are mostly female faith healers adhering not to vows but to mystic trances and possession.
    — H.M.A. Leow, JSTOR Daily, 10 July 2026
Definition of trance
Verb
  • For something slower-paced, float the Penticton channel that connects Okanagan and Skaha lakes on tube rafts.
    — Maryam Siddiqi, Travel + Leisure, 13 July 2026
  • Others float slowly just below geostationary orbit, listening to the signals emanating from communications and early warning satellites stationed there.
    — Gerry Doyle, Fortune, 13 July 2026
Definition of float
Noun
  • Hospital staff lined up to sing and dance, celebrating their good fortune, as the pair looked on in a daze.
    — Emmet Livingstone, NPR, 24 June 2026
  • Summer Satur-daze Summer Music Series.
    — Olivia Wakim, AJC.com, 28 May 2026
Definition of daze
Verb
  • This World Cup has seen the transformation of streets with murals and graffiti, as well as this kite below of Argentina’s jersey that hovers over the streets.
    — Anantaajith Raghuraman, New York Times, 19 July 2026
  • Ajayi, who hovers at 6-foot-7 and weighs 228-pounds, is a massive specimen who can defend multiple positions.
    — Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 18 July 2026
Definition of hover
Noun
  • Starting and running a business isn’t for the faint of heart.
    — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 26 June 2026
  • Some of the stadium prices aren’t for the faint of heart, with a water alone almost costing $10 and a birria quesadilla almost $30.
    — Lawrence Dow, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 18 June 2026
Definition of faint
Verb
  • Jordan Harbst was riding his scooter along the Greenbelt when 41-year-old Ross Wardlaw allegedly stepped into his path and stabbed him to death, according to previous Statesman reporting.
    — Carolyn Komatsoulis Updated July 13, Idaho Statesman, 14 July 2026
  • On the way to dinner, Luke rides in a taxi with Nathan, Aesha, and Joe.
    — Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 14 July 2026
Definition of ride

Browse Nearby Words

swills
swim
swimming
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Cite this Entry

“Swim.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/swim. Accessed 19 Jul. 2026.

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