Synonyms of swimming

swimming

verb

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

• spinning
• whirling
• turning
• swirling
• reeling

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• collecting
• calming
• settling
• steadying

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

• sailing
• hovering
• floating
• gliding
• drifting
• riding
• bobbing
• hanging
• wafting
• dangling
• poising
• suspending
• rafting
• buoying
• ballooning

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• sinking
• settling
• diving
• plunging
• lunging
• dipping
• submerging
• immersing
• submersing

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of swimming

Winter also brings memorable encounters with whales across Australia, including swimming with dwarf minke whales along the Great Barrier Reef from June through July and spotting migrating humpbacks along the east coast from May through October. — Stuart Rigg, Travel + Leisure, 4 Sep. 2026

Grace said her family frequently went swimming together and that Malachi, the youngest of four children, particularly loved the water. — Christina Coulter, PEOPLE, 2 Sep. 2026

State health officials said she may have been exposed while swimming in a Louisiana lake. — Anthony Thompson, USA Today, 1 Sep. 2026

Recently, a local fisherman captured a video of dolphins swimming in the Long Island Sound off the coast of Westbrook that was shared all over social media. — Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 31 Aug. 2026

Whether burrowing through soil or swimming through water, they’re forced to maneuver through narrow gaps in tiny pores, rocks, roots, plants or other obstacles. — K. R. Prathyusha, The Conversation, 31 Aug. 2026

Sixteen beaches are not recommended for swimming by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. — Lucia Cheng, Des Moines Register, 28 Aug. 2026

The South Carolina Department of Natural Resources confirmed a person was bitten by an alligator while swimming in the Savannah River and said wildlife biologists and law enforcement responded to the scene. — Emily Shapiro, ABC News, 27 Aug. 2026

Nine-foot stainless-steel screens, originally designed to keep fish from swimming into dams, were reshaped into curved, airfoil-like vanity doors. — David Caraccio, Sacbee.com, 26 Aug. 2026