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swimming

verb

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 More energetic outdoor activities include swimming in the saltwater pool, walking or jogging on the Deck 15 track, paddle tennis, golf cages, and a mini-golf course. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Sep. 2026 Two-foot-long cutthroat trout swimming en masse up rivers for only a few weeks each year, turns out, are a siren’s song for anglers from around the world. — Christine Peterson, Outdoor Life, 23 Sep. 2026 According to a source, attendees were given hats featuring her initials, and a photo of the actress was displayed on a large screen with dolphins swimming in the ocean behind her, a nod to her passion for marine conservation. — Elizabeth Rosner, PEOPLE, 23 Sep. 2026 Greg O'Neill, 63, was swimming at Sorrento Beach in the northern suburbs of Perth in Western Australia on Friday when the attack happened in front of horrified beachgoers. — Brie Stimson, FOXNews.com, 20 Sep. 2026 The humpback was caught on video spouting water while swimming close to shore. — Megan Fahrney, ABC News, 18 Sep. 2026 After 15 hours and 5 minutes, Christine Turpin just kept swimming. — Rachel Roberts, Idaho Statesman, 18 Sep. 2026 Those fishing off the Malibu Pier were surprised in mid-August by a hammerhead shark swimming nearby. — Jaclyn Cosgrove, Los Angeles Times, 17 Sep. 2026 Some of this year’s winners and honorable mentions included tiny jellyfish larvae swimming inside water droplets, a colorful sea slug wiggling along and many different forms of cells exploring their microscopic worlds. — Adrianne Morales, Washington Post, 16 Sep. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for swimming
  1. spinning
  2. sailing
  3. hovering
  4. floating
  5. gliding
  6. drifting
Verb
  • According to the suit, the video depicts the staff member grabbing a Black student from behind, spinning him around, grabbing him by the shirt and shoving him repeatedly into the metal roll-down door of a concession stand.
    — Eric Peterson, Chicago Tribune, 23 Sep. 2026
  • How a flywheel energy storage system works Qnetic’s alternative to the lithium-ion battery consists of a flywheel, or a heavy rotor, capable of spinning at supersonic speed in a frictionless vacuum chamber.
    — Ameya Paleja, Interesting Engineering, 22 Sep. 2026
Definition of spinning
Verb
  • More cruise ships like Oceania Marina and Ponant’s Le Commandant Charcot are sailing to remote destinations like Sisimiut, Narsaq, and Disko Island.
    — CNT Editors, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Sep. 2026
  • Mandel took the sentiment a step further, comparing Cowell’s absence to sailing without the person normally steering the ship.
    — Alicia Urrea, Billboard, 22 Sep. 2026
Definition of sailing
Verb
  • With the 10-year treasury yield hovering around 5% and bond prices falling, investors who bought bond mutual funds or ETFs when yields were lower may be sitting on unrealized losses within their portfolio.
    — Cheryl Winokur Munk, CNBC, 23 Sep. 2026
  • Yes, the Whitney will have a gigantic 32-foot-by-25 1⁄2-foot Lichtenstein–by–Da Corte hovering over the Meatpacking District.
    — Nate Freeman, Vanity Fair, 22 Sep. 2026
Definition of hovering
Verb
  • While floating-rate and short-duration instruments offer attractive yields with no or minimal interest-rate risk, investors can pick up some additional income by moving out slightly longer to intermediate-term bonds.
    — Michelle Fox, CNBC, 24 Sep. 2026
  • Visitors traveling across Rhode Island’s Narragansett Bay earlier this month may have seen a strange-looking boat with wings and a whale-like tail floating in the estuary’s calm late-summer waters.
    — Mack DeGeurin, Popular Science, 23 Sep. 2026
Definition of floating
Verb
  • Infused with sunflower seed oil, castor seed oil, jojoba seed oil, squalane, and shea butter, Dear Dahlia’s Lip Paradise Sensual Lip Glow feels like, well, butter gliding onto your lips.
    — Sarah Han, Allure, 24 Sep. 2026
  • Then the foils lifted free, and the ship took to the sky, gliding low over the water like a pelican skimming the waves.
    — Mack DeGeurin, Popular Science, 23 Sep. 2026
Definition of gliding
Verb
  • The bay facing the western shore of Newfoundland is the mouth—the gaping estuary—of the Saint Lawrence, Newfoundland on the chart detached and apparently drifting out to sea.
    — Paul Theroux, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Sep. 2026
  • By contrast, heart rate barely moved during the control trial, drifting from 85 to 80 bpm.
    — Samantha Agate, Miami Herald, 22 Sep. 2026
Definition of drifting

Browse Nearby Words

swim
swimming
swimmingly
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Cite this Entry

“Swimming.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/swimming. Accessed 27 Sep. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on swimming

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about swimming

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