1
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
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
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Recent Examples of swishing
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
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
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Mature geese have kept a close eye on the eggs, occasionally honking and hissing at those who have approached.—
Nathan Pilling,
Kansas City Star,
28 Apr. 2026
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He was later woken up by a hissing sound and noticed a flame on the floor of his bedroom.—
Landon Mion,
FOXNews.com,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
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And that jockey was flapping and flapping about the top of his horse, lookin’ like a chicken—elbows jumping this way an’ that, but the horse was spent.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
30 Apr. 2026
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Smaller birds darted around, their small wings flapping rapidly.—
Emily Holshouser,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
21 Apr. 2026
Verb
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This could be the bookworm equivalent of jet setting, perhaps—seeking out the places we’re taken to while flicking the pages.—
Connor Sturges,
Condé Nast Traveler,
27 Apr. 2026
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Edmundson, who’d lost MacKinnon on his first goal, atoned by receiving Kempe’s pass in the high slot and flicking a shot that clipped Wedgewood on its way into the net.—
Andrew Knoll,
Daily News,
26 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Curry’s body began convulsing and twitching with increasing severity, consistent with him sustaining a traumatic brain injury from being punched in the face, documents state.—
Deborah Laverty,
Chicago Tribune,
29 Mar. 2026
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Afternoon Ben Thanh Market is Hồ Chí Minh’s biggest market – a vast maze of 1,500 stalls selling everything from still-twitching fish to electronics and souvenirs.—
Tamara Hinson,
Condé Nast Traveler,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Bake for 30 to 35 mins, switching the positions of the trays about halfway through, until the knots are puffed up and golden.—
The Week UK,
TheWeek,
2 May 2026
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Speaking of customs, Desree Ade, junior PR coordinator at Amina Muaddi, told FN that the team will create multiple options for a client, potentially three to five, making variations of the same style by switching up details like color and material.—
Jaden Thompson,
Footwear News,
1 May 2026
Verb
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Each node resembles a huge steel sphere bobbing on the water with a tube-like structure extending vertically down beneath the surface.—
Jeremy Hsu,
ArsTechnica,
5 May 2026
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The host of Watch What Happens Live and executive producer of The Real Housewives franchise, Cohen is bobbing and weaving from one reality universe to the other in many different forms.—
Peter White,
Deadline,
4 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Swishing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/swishing. Accessed 9 May. 2026.
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