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
Relevance
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
Wallace and her collaborators scrambled to get into the water; the whale was swimming in the wrong direction, toward some docks.
—
Jessica Camille Aguirre, New Yorker, 2 May 2026
Nicknamed Timmy by German media, the whale was spotted swimming near Germany’s Baltic Sea coast on March 3, far from its natural habitat in the Atlantic Ocean.
—ABC News, 2 May 2026
Even with his injury, Chunk managed to catch the salmon swimming in the river.
—Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 30 Apr. 2026
From my Pinterest feed to yacht clubs to the streets of downtown Brooklyn, this spring’s fashion scene is swimming in this controversial shoe style.
—Caroline Hughes, Travel + Leisure, 30 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for swimming
Jessica Camille Aguirre, New Yorker, 2 May 2026
Nicknamed Timmy by German media, the whale was spotted swimming near Germany’s Baltic Sea coast on March 3, far from its natural habitat in the Atlantic Ocean.
—ABC News, 2 May 2026
Even with his injury, Chunk managed to catch the salmon swimming in the river.
—Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 30 Apr. 2026
From my Pinterest feed to yacht clubs to the streets of downtown Brooklyn, this spring’s fashion scene is swimming in this controversial shoe style.
—Caroline Hughes, Travel + Leisure, 30 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for swimming
Recent Examples of Synonyms for swimming
Verb
-
During a recent experience, the eight mini games ranged from trivia to stacking foam blocks and from Nerf dart shooting to spinning a giant wheel for points.—
Patrick Connolly,
The Orlando Sentinel,
14 May 2026
-
This setup would let researchers detect minute differences in the isotopes’ energy levels by examining nuances in the magnetic field created by each particle’s spinning nucleus, called the nuclear magnetic moment.—
K. R. Callaway,
Scientific American,
13 May 2026
Verb
-
The ban will affect passengers sailing on Utopia of the Seas, which visits Nassau on Tuesday, plus Oasis of the Seas and Wonder of the Seas in port at CocoCay.—
Patrick Connolly,
The Orlando Sentinel,
8 May 2026
-
At the time of publication, the ship is sailing on a three- to four-day journey that began the evening of May 6 from Cape Verde to the Canary Islands, where Spanish authorities have agreed to assist the imperiled vessel.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
8 May 2026
Verb
-
Beaches, a nomination shut-out, was down $44,518 to $475,601, with attendance at the Majestic hovering around the 50% of capacity mark.—
Greg Evans,
Deadline,
12 May 2026
-
Operating under an experimental permit, the mission successfully transitioned the hydrogen-electric Robinson R44 from basic hovering to a complete airport traffic circuit.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
12 May 2026
Verb
-
The House Foreign Affairs Committee marked up 21 bills in a single session last month and eight separate, additional bills are floating around Congress related to advanced AI and export controls, including the Safe Chips Act and the Chip Security Act.—
Amanda Gerut,
Fortune,
13 May 2026
-
Designed by Carlo Mollino, the floating 1950s retreat retains many of the legendary Italian designer’s original interiors and custom furnishings.—
Abby Montanez,
Robb Report,
13 May 2026
Verb
-
The track features Paul Wall and finds Lil’ Boat gliding over production from Bronson and Daringer with ease.—
Mikey Fresh,
VIBE.com,
4 May 2026
-
Moreover, the missile uses a gliding approach to reach its target.—
Sujita Sinha,
Interesting Engineering,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Smoke from the Max Road Fire was drifting north and northwest Monday morning due to a light southeast breeze.—
Sergio Candido,
CBS News,
11 May 2026
-
The moon spends the day drifting through the numinous and intuitive sign of Pisces, pulling our attention inward.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
11 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Swimming.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/swimming. Accessed 16 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
