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
The gondola swings back and forth and ‘swims’ when Sepp gets agitated. Literary Hub, 11 Aug. 2026 Almost everything on the menu grows, swims, or gets distilled within a few kilometers of the kitchen. Monica Mendal, Vogue, 10 Aug. 2026 Gaines tied for fifth in the 200-yard freestyle at the 2022 NCAA Championships, and one of her conference-title swims was, at the time, the 16th-fastest in American history. Dan Zaksheske Outkick, FOXNews.com, 6 Aug. 2026 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for swims
Verb
  • The polar vortex is a wintertime phenomenon, a large area of cold air high up in our atmosphere that normally spins over the North and South poles (as its name suggests).
    Doyle Rice, USA Today, 15 Aug. 2026
  • In March and April 2025, the researchers pointed IXPE at 1E 1547-5408, a magnetar that spins once every two seconds and is unusual among its kind for steadily emitting radio waves.
    Sharmila Kuthunur, Space.com, 14 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • As the Kimballs attempt to raise a ransom to get back their son, Gillian Anderson enters as a fixer, while Steven Yeun hovers as the political candidate’s campaign manager.
    Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 12 Aug. 2026
  • Okemo hovers just above Ludlow center, in the winter outlines of trails stand out clear and white.
    Moira McCarthy, Boston Herald, 2 Aug. 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
  • Chichibu made its money in silk, because the basin is poor country for rice but good country for mulberry, and the silk paid for the enormous festival floats the town is known for.
    Christopher Elliott, Forbes.com, 16 Aug. 2026
  • An island floats at the center of the ultra-modern kitchen with Bulthaup cabinetry, a six-burner Wolf range, and a Viking fridge.
    Demetrius Simms, Robb Report, 13 Aug. 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
  • Nelson’s mind quickly sails from cold floor-pragmatics to high theory.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 13 Aug. 2026
  • 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
Noun
  • But California hasn’t seen rolling blackouts since that year in large part due to its massive increase in battery energy storage, Seeley said.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 16 Aug. 2026
  • Massimo Di Odoardo, vice president of gas and LNG research at Wood Mackenzie, is also confident that Europe will avoid a dire scenario of energy shortages and blackouts.
    Hanna Ziady, CNN Money, 14 Aug. 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 20 Aug. 2026.

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