SWIMMING Synonyms: 32 Similar and Opposite Words

swimming

verb

Definition of swimming

present participle of swim

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

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 It’s estimated about 25% of the sunscreen people apply to their skin washes off while swimming or wading in the ocean. — Matthew Perrone, Los Angeles Times, 15 Oct. 2026 For twenty years, McCarthy has been swimming against the current, writing novels that reflect, with unusual intensity, his disdain for the conventional underpinnings of literary fiction. — Max Callimanopulos, New Yorker, 14 Oct. 2026 It's estimated about 25% of the sunscreen people apply to their skin washes off while swimming or wading in the ocean. — ABC News, 14 Oct. 2026 But psychological sense be damned, Jay sets himself the task of suiting up in diving gear and swimming out in search of his dad’s remains. — David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 14 Oct. 2026 Leo is known for living an active and healthy lifestyle, including swimming and playing tennis, all factors that likely worked in his favor going into the surgery. — CBS News, 13 Oct. 2026 As for dust and water resistance, the Edge is rated IP68 and is safe for swimming up to 5ATM. — Victoria Song, The Verge, 12 Oct. 2026 The Accents Perhaps even more than the gigantic thing swimming in the ocean eating people, the thick Newfoundland accents are Below’s standout feature. — Sean T. Collins, Vulture, 9 Oct. 2026 Stephens is also running cross country for West Orange, and swimming with the Southwest Stars Swim Club. — Buddy Collings, The Orlando Sentinel, 8 Oct. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for swimming

Verb

Antetokounmpo also blocked a Noah Clowney dunk attempt a few minutes later, and then got the ball back for a spinning finger roll on the other end.

— Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 15 Oct. 2026
Use one of the big red buttons to listen to whatever is spinning live on NTS Channel 1 and Channel 2, or scroll through a rotary dial to listen to one of 16 music-only radio streams.

— Kevin Cortez, Time, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of spinning

Verb

The unfortunate crew of the doomed vessel were likely sailing to the west when disaster struck, the researchers wrote in a study about the wreck that was published earlier this year.

— Adam Kovac, Scientific American, 15 Oct. 2026
The fourth ship was identified as the Al Saadiyat, sailing under the Marshall Islands flag.

— Mark Osborne, CBS News, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of sailing

Verb

At the event, Musk and his team showcased a white sports car that raced up a curved ramp, then clung to it upside down and vaulted off it, flipping in mid-air and hovering slowly before landing on the ground.

— Lora Kolodny, CNBC, 15 Oct. 2026
The price of Brent crude, the international standard for oil, was hovering around $105 on Wednesday, up from $98 on the last day of September.

— Mark Osborne, CBS News, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of hovering

Verb

From shredding the slopes in the winter to floating on the water in the summer, the unofficial capital of the Sierra Nevada sees outdoorsy travelers constantly flocking to its campsites and cabins.

— Camila Pedrosa, Sacbee.com, 15 Oct. 2026
To mollify the weathering forces that can twist or pull their systems apart, engineers at Ciel & Terre, a French floating solar array manufacturer, reshaped its design.

— Sal Vaglica, Time, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of floating

Verb

With a pair of real horns, one of them plays the bull by gliding toward the fuchsia bullfighting cape.

— Eyder Peralta, NPR, 15 Oct. 2026
The Rangers announced the devastating news on Saturday following a scary injury in which the 30-year-old’s right skate jammed into the post while gliding across his crease in the first period.

— Scott Thompson OutKick, FOXNews.com, 10 Oct. 2026

Definition of gliding

Verb

Plush toys have long served as soft zero-g indicators for spaceflight missions, drifting freely to signal the instant a spacecraft enters weightlessness.

— Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 9 Oct. 2026
Stewart complained about the chain’s merchandising and quality control, and Kmart was drifting toward financial trouble.

— Fernanda Tronco, Fortune, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of drifting

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swim

swimming

swimmingly

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“Swimming.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/swimming. Accessed 18 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of swimming

verb

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