swimming

Definition of swimmingnext
present participle of swim
1
as in spinning
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

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2
as in sailing
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

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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 swimming Above the shimmering waterline, a pair of slick gray dorsal fins emerge—a mother swimming alongside her child. Hannah Towey, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Apr. 2026 Gray is a very smart actor and wholly credible as a woman swimming in the amoral landscape of big tech, cursed by having eyes wide open. Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune, 21 Apr. 2026 Some experts say the animal may have lost its way while swimming after a shoal of herring or during migration. ABC News, 20 Apr. 2026 Avoid swallowing water while swimming. Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 19 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for swimming
Recent Examples of Synonyms for swimming
Verb
  • Off the coast of Rhode IslandAP — Offshore wind turbines roughly three times the height of the Statue of Liberty were spinning far off the coast of Rhode Island on Thursday, sending clean electricity to the region.
    Jennifer McDermott, CNN Money, 29 Apr. 2026
  • Booth, Guiteau, Czolgosz, Oswald must all be spinning in their graves!
    Landon Mion, FOXNews.com, 28 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • The Euphoria later resumed sailing toward the Gulf of Oman, according to Lloyd’s List.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 22 Apr. 2026
  • Ships sailing the Great Lakes are also designed for expedition-style travel, with a focus on education, science, and environmental awareness.
    Elaine Rojas-Castillo, CBS News, 21 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • With interest rates hovering above 20% on many cards, carrying a balance even for a few months can quickly snowball.
    Joshua Sidorowicz, CBS News, 27 Apr. 2026
  • Today, with Apple’s market cap hovering around $4 trillion, that 10% stake could theoretically be worth more than $400 billion.
    Preston Fore, Fortune, 27 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • Take advantage of the good vibes floating through your workspaces.
    USA TODAY, USA Today, 28 Apr. 2026
  • Each villa is assigned a private butler who can fulfil any requests, such as a floating breakfast in the swimming pool.
    Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • The upcoming Michael Jackson biopic, Michael, concludes in 1988, with Jackson gliding across a London stadium stage, performing in that white T-shirt and black jacket full of zippers, as fans weep before him.
    Steve Knopper, Rolling Stone, 22 Apr. 2026
  • The wear of this pick is also particularly lightweight, gliding on with a texture that sits at the convergence of an oil and balm.
    Kiana Murden, Vogue, 21 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • Hyper-stylized and overtly sinister, the new trailer opens on Dakota Johnson drifting through a shadowy, intimate home wearing a silk robe.
    Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 27 Apr. 2026
  • Over 100 radioactive elements, tens of millions of curies, were sent drifting across the continent for 10 days.
    Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 26 Apr. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Swimming.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/swimming. Accessed 2 May. 2026.

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