1
2
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
1
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
2
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for swishes
Noun
-
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
Verb
-
Think Judd Apatow flicks with Steve Carell and Seth Rogen, or sitcoms starring Charlie Sheen.—
Kelly Lawler,
USA Today,
30 Oct. 2025
-
Like a true professional, the actor quickly flicks the photo and extinguishes the blaze without ever breaking character — despite internally freaking out — to nail the perfect shot.—
Sydney Bucksbaum,
Entertainment Weekly,
21 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Pair it with the burgundy leather trousers, based on our ski pants, with the calf zips open to show off a good pair of boots.—
Tianwei Zhang,
Footwear News,
6 Nov. 2025
-
As the object zips around the warmest part of that loop near the sun, its ice turns to gas, which causes the comet to shed dust and other material.—
Meghan Bartels,
Scientific American,
3 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
In the canonical metaphorical example, a butterfly flaps its wings in Brazil, and the cascading sequence of atmospheric perturbations leads to a tornado in Texas.—
Dan Garisto,
Scientific American,
22 Oct. 2025
-
That goes for Jimmy Kimmel and for anybody who flaps their gums for a living.—
Jesse Edwards,
MSNBC Newsweek,
20 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
But not every interaction at dog parks ends with happy tail wags.—
Liz O'Connell,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Sep. 2025
-
Less bending for pets + slower eating habits = better digestion and more tail wags.—
Stacia Datskovska,
Footwear News,
27 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Young feels within range for Eagles general manager Howie Roseman, who always swings for the fences.—
Matthew Schmidt,
MSNBC Newsweek,
29 Oct. 2025
-
But the tone swings between sour and sweet, grounded and silly, and the jokes run more broadly wacky than precise or original.—
Angie Han,
HollywoodReporter,
13 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
This year has seen waves of bad news for the global fight to halt catastrophic climate change.—
Ella Nilsen,
CNN Money,
7 Nov. 2025
-
Echoing her refined outfit, Lawrence went with simple, no-fuss beauty, including loose waves and a no-makeup makeup look.—
Kelsey Stewart,
Footwear News,
7 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Some devices, for example, track eye movements or other small muscle twitches to let users select words from a screen.—
Emma R. Hasson,
Scientific American,
14 Aug. 2025
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Cite this Entry
“Swishes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/swishes. Accessed 8 Nov. 2025.
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