Thesaurus results for SWISHES

swishes 1 of 2

noun

plural of swish

as in whistles

a sound similar to the speech sound \s\ stretched out the steady swish of the windshield wipers

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

as in flaps

a quick jerky movement from side to side or up and down the mare brushed away the flies with a sweeping swish of her tail

Synonyms & Similar Words

swishes

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of swish

as in hisses

to make a sound like that of stretching out the speech sound \s\ with their satin costumes swishing, the little ballerinas chasséd onto the stage

Synonyms & Similar Words

as in flicks

to move from side to side or up and down with quick jerky motions the horse's tail swishes after every jump

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 swishes

Noun

Banchero had the game-sealing shot, too — a 3-pointer that hit the rim, bounced a couple stories into the air, then dropped through the net with the softest of swishes with about 40 seconds left. — ABC News, 25 Apr. 2026 Now there’s a new celebrity in Greenfield, a purveyor of swishes instead of verses. — Joe Rexrode, New York Times, 2 Apr. 2026 Their play is a symphony of cheers and swishes, conversation and laughter, dribbling balls and rattling rims. — Chris John Amorosino, Hartford Courant, 13 Mar. 2026 Drain out the dirty water, then refill with clean, lukewarm water and give the scarf a few more swishes. — Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 8 Jan. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for swishes

Noun

While other animals such as rats and mice are also known to have laryngeal whistles, the study says that horses are believed to be the only animals known to combine the whistle with vocal fold vibrations to create a single, dual sound call.

— Kate Perez, USA Today, 25 Feb. 2026
Mrtka was actively involved between the whistles and after the whistle, using his size to clear the net and get under opponents’ skin.

— Matthew Fairburn, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2025

Definition of whistles

Noun

Key Background Given its hot start, the newest Spider-Man movie could become one of the top 10 highest grossing movies of all time, a list that already features three Marvel flicks.

— Antonio Pequeño IV, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2026
Meanwhile the top movies at the box office were two low-budget indie horror flicks, Obsession and Backrooms.

— Ronnen Harary, Fortune, 31 July 2026

Definition of flicks

Verb

The robot flaps five to six times a second to maintain flight.

— Ari Daniel, NPR, 9 July 2026
To clean your garbage disposal, Lane suggests starting by cleaning the rubber flaps by using dish soap and a brush or an old toothbrush to scrub the rubber flaps that line the disposal.

— Melissa Locker, Southern Living, 6 July 2026

Definition of flaps

Noun

Wood was asked about a golf outing where a friend’s father showed up in a traditional dress code, only to find the rest of the group in quarter-zips and in vests from a brand that shall go unnamed but is synonymous with New York’s Wall Street.

— Catherina Gioino, Fortune, 3 Aug. 2026
In common with the rest of the Emira range, there is now a targa roof option with a removable glass panel that unclips, zips into a bag, and slots behind the two seats.

— Tim Pitt, Robb Report, 22 July 2026

Definition of zips

Verb

The Connecticut rapper’s debut swings from tongue-in-cheek provocations to slam-poetry clunkers, landing a few solid punchlines and pop hooks along the way.

— Lily Goldberg, Pitchfork, 3 Aug. 2026
If the answer swings on how the question was phrased, the model is not measuring anything about the match.

— Boaz Sobrado, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2026

Definition of swings

Noun

Moreover, if Griffin stepped into public life now, the cynical wags in finance would declare the reason obvious—his hedge fund’s returns have been sagging.

— Gary Sernovitz, New Yorker, 15 June 2026
Many critics, political pundits, and wags asked, somewhat rhetorically, whether anyone in the administration recalls how handing the responsibility of nuclear weaponry over to machines turned out in the Terminator movies.

— David Fear, Rolling Stone, 2 Mar. 2026

Definition of wags

Browse Nearby Words

swished

swishes

swishing

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Swishes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/swishes. Accessed 7 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of swishes

noun

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster on swishes

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

invidious

Popular in Grammar & Usage

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

'Sneaked' or 'Snuck': Which is correct?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

Popular in Wordplay

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Aug. 7

How long is a jiffy?

Popular

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

Games & Quizzes