Thesaurus results for SWISHING

swishing

verb

present participle of swish

as in hissing

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

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as in flapping

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 swishing Rinse the blueberries under cold running water, gently swishing them around with your hands to ensure all the berries are exposed to water. — Martha Stewart, 3 July 2026 The Western Ghats mountains tumble down the west coast of India like a breaking wave, swishing through six states and across nearly 1,000 miles. — Susan D'arcy, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 June 2026 In other words, avoid swishing seltzers in your mouth, drinking a lot of them or even sipping one throughout the day. — The New York Times News Service Syndicate, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 May 2026 The Oregon Zoo’s official TikTok account posted footage of a bear swishing around in a tub filled with ice and water, rolling on his back and kicking his feet before shaking water off. — Samantha Agate, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 20 Apr. 2026 The Illinois freshman then spun to his left and hopped back behind the 3-point line, swishing his second 3-pointer of the night. — Colleen Kane, Chicago Tribune, 1 Apr. 2026 In the fourth quarter of the Lakers’ blowout win against Sacramento, James bounced off the balls of his feet down the court with his unmistakable bow-legged gait after swishing a 3. — Dan Woike, New York Times, 3 Mar. 2026 My child attended daycare and summer programs at Pillsbury United Communities center just four blocks away, where a multiracial cohort of kids happily play through the winter, swishing around in bulky jackets and snow pants, bouncing towards their parents. — Bao Phi, Time, 13 Jan. 2026 In 2020, when Wembanyama was 16, a video of him swishing midrange jumpers against Rudy Gobert, a 7-foot-1 French compatriot and one of the NBA’s top defenders, went viral. — Andrew Greif, NBC news, 17 Dec. 2025

Recent Examples of Synonyms for swishing

Verb

The complete assembly weighs just enough for the Madagascar hissing cockroach, a species favored for cyborg research because of its large size, robustness, and wingless body, to carry without significantly impairing its movement.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 18 July 2026
Jason was hissing fiercely; Gordon, who projects a monastic calm, was trying to reason with the mother while batting her back each time the flap swung open.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 15 July 2026

Definition of hissing

Verb

Maybe the manager didn’t feel like flapping their arms to dry them, seeing as how the cookline handwash sink didn’t have paper towels or a blower.

— David J. Neal July 24, Miami Herald, 24 July 2026
Generally, to be considered autistic, a person must have exhibited social difficulties and repetitive behaviors—such as hand-flapping and spinning—from before the age of 5.

— Olga Khazan, The Atlantic, 20 July 2026

Definition of flapping

Verb

Another flash of brilliance came against St Louis City last season, another sensational assist, this one coming from flicking the ball through a defender with a sort of dynamic, Cruyff turn/backheel hybrid move, through to Matheus Nascimento.

— Nick Miller, New York Times, 31 July 2026
His violent men — Scott’s sinister dad and Melton’s sad one — light cigarettes by flicking matches on their ears and teeth.

— Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 23 July 2026

Definition of flicking

Verb

And while there’s fun to be had with the premise of the three characters constantly and accidentally switching places — most often in the middle of a space fight) — the meandering script unfortunately tries to do too much.

— EW Staff, Entertainment Weekly, 3 Aug. 2026
Training camp for the Kansas City Chiefs began on July 29, and even with the program only days in, the 36-year-old tight end felt like switching up his appearance with changes to his facial hair.

— Michelle Lee, PEOPLE, 3 Aug. 2026

Definition of switching

Verb

Rapp and his crewmate, Suzanne Driscoll, hoisted a lobster trap marked by a bobbing buoy from the Casco Bay.

— Natalie B. Compton The Washington Post, Arkansas Online, 2 Aug. 2026
And that kind of thing didn’t happen in Mystic, a touristy escape from New York City complete with bobbing boats and sea lions doing tricks at the aquarium.

— Brenna Ehrlich, Rolling Stone, 31 July 2026

Definition of bobbing

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swishes

swishing

switch

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

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Synonyms of swishing

verb

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