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
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
The Rockets have already started releasing videos of Şengün running pick-and-rolls as the ballhandler and swishing 3-pointers during the first few days of training camp.
—William Guillory, New York Times, 2 Oct. 2025
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
The Rockets have already started releasing videos of Şengün running pick-and-rolls as the ballhandler and swishing 3-pointers during the first few days of training camp.
—William Guillory, New York Times, 2 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for swishing
Verb
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Ken Johnson, the homeowner, said Monday that the bear has been growling and hissing, terrifying him and his cat.—
NBC Los Angeles,
NBC news,
2 Dec. 2025
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Look for signs like the cat stopping purring, stiffening, thrashing their tail, or hissing.—
Maria Azzurra Volpe,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The team also discovered that rays using undulatory, wave-like swimming had better ground clearance than those with purely oscillatory, flapping motions.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
22 Jan. 2026
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For example, malware could send commands to rapidly open and close circuit breakers, a technique known as flapping.—
Saman Zonouz,
The Conversation,
22 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Alijah Arenas switched between his forehand shot and backhand, flicking the plastic ball over the net to his opponent, former NBA star Brandon Jennings.—
Haley Sawyer,
Oc Register,
20 Jan. 2026
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While the horses were flicking sand like fireworks.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
15 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
His eye is twitching, just a little.—
Allegra Goodman,
New Yorker,
4 Jan. 2026
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In a heartbreaking video, a partially paralyzed dog is caught twitching his paws in his sleep, and internet users can’t stop sobbing.—
Maria Azzurra Volpe,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 Nov. 2025
Verb
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That’s why many nail enthusiasts are switching to at-home mani-pedis — and turning it into a 2026 beauty trend.—
Sian Babish,
PEOPLE,
9 Jan. 2026
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The Aztecs had been switching the point guard-center ball screens, which put guards on 6-9 bouncy Nevada forward Elijah Price under the basket.—
Mark Zeigler,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Still, the infant’s head can be seen bobbing up and down.—
Owen Clarke,
Outside,
20 Jan. 2026
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SpaceX support crews stationed near the landing site quickly reached the gently bobbing spacecraft and hauled it aboard a company recovery ship where flight surgeons were standing by to carry out initial medical checks.—
William Harwood,
CBS News,
15 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Swishing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/swishing. Accessed 30 Jan. 2026.
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