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
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Recent Examples of swishing
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
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
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To test the concept, the team equipped Madagascar hissing cockroaches with a lightweight wearable backpack capable of collecting physiological and behavioral data.—
Bojan Stojkovski,
Interesting Engineering,
30 May 2026
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This might be as simple as a public argument – hissing whispers in an elevator.—
Georgia Nicols,
Denver Post,
29 May 2026
Verb
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The slot formerly occupied by a performance from the Commodores will now be filled with the sound of a lone Gadsden flag flapping on its pole.—
Alexandra Petri,
The Atlantic,
3 June 2026
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The fathers, faces ruddy, prayed in Latin for her soul, black robes flapping in the wind.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
26 May 2026
Verb
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Kamara found it a couple of hours before kick-off when flicking through a copy of the matchday programme.—
Richard Sutcliffe,
New York Times,
23 May 2026
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The dragons stalk the island, flicking their huge tongues in hopes of picking up the scent of a deer, wild boar, or water buffalo — the latter two species introduced by humans — or rodents and other smaller reptiles, including baby Komodo dragons.—
Craig Stanford,
Big Think,
7 May 2026
Verb
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The Hormuz crisis will not end when oil markets stop twitching.—
John W.H. Denton AO,
Fortune,
6 June 2026
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The Buena Vista Social Club features feet-twitching music and Wolf says that, obviously, people want to get up and dance but that’s just not allowed.—
Baz Bamigboye,
Deadline,
2 June 2026
Verb
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Later switching to the Chicago Sports Network, King became beloved as a studio analyst.—
Adam Harrington,
CBS News,
7 June 2026
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Yung-Shin Kung said that CTAs had captured the rally in precious metals, primarily silver and gold, at the beginning of the year, before switching to industrial metals that are poised to benefit from AI infrastructure investment and supply constraints caused by the Iran war.—
Hugh Leask,
CNBC,
5 June 2026
Verb
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While the view from my balcony, overlooking yachts bobbing in the marina and Table Mountain further beyond, was lovely, nothing compares to the two-bedroom Cape Grace suite, with its panoramic perch over the mountain and harbor.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
3 June 2026
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Many of the jurors were seemingly shaken by Gavin’s appearance in the film; others were seen bobbing their heads and dancing in their seats during sections featuring Jackson's music.—
Patrick Ryan,
USA Today,
3 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Swishing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/swishing. Accessed 9 Jun. 2026.
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