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
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of swishing
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
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
-
Then a hissing arrow pins a golden soccer ball to the Clash of Clans escutcheon.
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There’s plenty of feline choreography, like crawling, meowing, and hissing.
Verb
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In the video, backed by champagne synths and hopscotching snares, a tuxedoed Jaeychino strolls the beach in Margiela sneakers, his jacket flapping in the wind as seafoam washes ashore.
-
Soaring birds fly without flapping wings, using rising air currents to uplift them.
Verb
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The soon-to-be 26-year-old left winger scored at the end of the first half on a breakaway, casually flicking the ball past Haitian goalkeeper Johny Placide.
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The Americans were less cohesive without Pulisic in the second half, but Reyna still added the finishing touch by gliding into the box and toe-flicking home his first World Cup goal.
Verb
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There is something cultish about that idea — the player who tends not to start but has the knack to appear later on with antennae twitching, ready to seize the day and alter the course of a match.
-
Leon Stetson was allegedly twitching, so officers moved him away from Carrie Stetson and started to render medical aid.
Verb
-
Taking them out of the equation and switching the play past them is the right approach.
-
Their powertrains are often mechanically complex, expensive, and sometimes slow to respond when switching between different power sources.
Verb
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Fascinators — those bobbing bundles often of feathers, flowers and netting perched off-center of the wearer’s head — are banned here.
-
Producers like Shungu, QThree, Mike Shabb, and Elsesser himself let their legato phrases repeat ad infinitum, gently bobbing like a dinghy in agitated waters.
Cite this Entry
“Swishing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/swishing. Accessed 29 Jun. 2026.
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