swims 1 of 2

present tense third-person singular of swim
1
as in spins
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 hovers
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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swims

2 of 2

noun

plural of swim
as in dazes
a temporary state of unconsciousness the merest glimpse of blood sends him into a swim

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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 swims
Verb
Their headlamps piercing the watery dark, the group swims along (only Sara has accepted a life jacket), admiring the bats and stalactites while Wat reminds them to respect the caves. Culture Critic, Los Angeles Times, 29 July 2026 This is an all-consuming sport; Vingegaard often swims to escape the mouth of the whale. Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 21 July 2026 Located at its sister resort, Hurawalhi Maldives, this incredible underwater restaurant serves a three-course meal while sea life swims by. Katie Lockhart, Robb Report, 16 July 2026 View gallery - 7 images A robot that swims like a diving bird and then flies like, well, a bird, sounds like the setup for two different machines bolted together. New Atlas, 13 July 2026 Then comes another character, Bernard, also young and who, while bathing one day, swims into a girl called Huguette. André Aciman, Literary Hub, 13 July 2026 With a measuring tape and waterproof notepad in hand, Shellie Baxter swims around a shipwreck embedded into the ocean’s floor in the Florida Keys. Amara Evering, Miami Herald, 11 July 2026 All the most gasp-inspiring moments of visual awe — such as Moana soaring across the sea as a manta ray spirit swims underneath her — are just a little stronger, a little bolder and brighter, in their original art form. Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 8 July 2026 Ton began club swimming at age 10 after accepting an invitation to swim during the summer with her friend Charlotte Jepsen, who swims and plays water polo at Fountain Valley. Dan Albano, Oc Register, 8 June 2026
Noun
And hands-on conservation experiences like coral restoration and manta ray swims are available for guests of all ages, bringing everyone closer to the Great Astrolabe Reef nearby. Laura Dannen Redman, Robb Report, 23 July 2026 An alligator swims in the shallow waters of Wakodahatchee Wetlands in Delray Beach, Florida, on May 4, 2026. Steven Yablonski, CBS News, 29 June 2026 In between languid lake swims and sensual forest escapades, old crushes surface and new anxieties rear their heads in this deft portrait of millennial disenchantment. Air Mail, 20 June 2026 And most importantly, nobody f---ing swims in it! Marina Watts, Entertainment Weekly, 18 June 2026 Over the course of the next few summers, the two grow closer over horror films and swims in the lake, frequently accompanied by Sam’s older brother Charlie (Michael Bradway), Percy’s best friend Delilah (Abigail Cowen), and Jordie (Joseph Chiu), a fellow local and Sam’s best friend. Arushi Jacob, Variety, 11 June 2026 John Quincy Adams was fit enough to take daily naked swims in the Potomac River while in office. Will Weissert, Fortune, 9 June 2026 The Catskills have long been a retreat—first for 19th-century painters and writers, later for city escapees chasing mountain air and summer swims. Lauren Dana Ellman, Travel + Leisure, 28 May 2026 At the three-day event, guests enjoyed lazy pool swims, yoga classes, pizza night and cooking lessons, a beach day with BBQ in true Australian style, a visit to the salt marshes and a relaxed dinner surrounded by nature on the Isola Grande. Fairchild Studio, Footwear News, 26 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for swims
Verb
  • What to do nearby While the free continental breakfast is fine, do pop over to Madcap Coffee for an excellent roast, or take a short stroll to colorful SPKRBOX, a coffee bar by day that spins vinyl by night.
    Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 31 July 2026
  • The book pays homage to all your classic romance tropes — fake relationship, enemies to lovers, boy next door — but spins them on their head in this new take on what happily ever after looks like.
    Matt Grobar, Deadline, 31 July 2026
Verb
  • As a result, the average restaurant profit margin now hovers between a precarious 3% and 5%, and industry data suggests that up to 42% of restaurants are currently struggling just to stay in the black.
    Robert Messer, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026
  • The Iraq War hovers over the whole thing, obviously, and the post-9/11 America the film was born into is there.
    Seth Abramovitch, HollywoodReporter, 28 July 2026
Noun
  • Unlike in Cutud, participants are mostly female faith healers adhering not to vows but to mystic trances and possession.
    H.M.A. Leow, JSTOR Daily, 10 July 2026
Verb
  • Though officially Danish, Bornholm floats midway between Sweden, Germany, and Poland.
    Stephanie Gavan, Condé Nast Traveler, 31 July 2026
  • Streaks of light fly down the carriage in one dueling scene, and in the show’s climax, the lights go dark when a dementor — played by a hooded actor puppeteering the creature strapped to their torso — floats down the aisle.
    Emily Tarinelli, Los Angeles Times, 29 July 2026
Noun
  • The latter, of course, gives better info, and the former gives fleeting metaphors and nearly faints from embarrassment.
    Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 29 Jan. 2026
  • The everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, neither faints nor is weary.
    John Biggs, Christian Science Monitor, 21 May 2025
Verb
  • The Jules Verne Trophy is awarded to the boat that sails non-stop fastest around the world.
    Andrew Rice, New York Times, 24 July 2026
  • Adventure Canada Adventure Canada sails to remote parts of the Arctic, including Canada and Greenland, and the company’s trips feature endless fodder for photo enthusiasts.
    Kristen E. Pope, Travel + Leisure, 13 July 2026
Noun
  • Internet blackouts and continued fear of government retribution have made getting a full picture of the crackdown difficult.
    Durrie Bouscaren, NPR, 3 Aug. 2026
  • The economic difficulties, energy blackouts, Internet restrictions, and general wartime fatigue have pushed Putin’s approval ratings from around 80 percent at the beginning of the year to 66 percent in mid-July.
    Alexander Gabuev, Foreign Affairs, 31 July 2026
Noun
  • Calm and good-natured, the 33-year-old swoons these days over his 8-month old daughter, trying to stay positive.
    ABC News, ABC News, 26 June 2026
  • Calm and good-natured, the 33-year-old swoons these days over his 8-month-old daughter, trying to stay positive.
    Sam Mednick, Los Angeles Times, 26 June 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Swims.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/swims. Accessed 5 Aug. 2026.

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