1
as in swaps
to give up (something) and take something else in return
switched the real grapes for fake ones switched the day of his flight from Thursday to Friday
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in flaps
to move from side to side or up and down with quick jerky motions
cows lazily switching their tails and chewing their cud
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in hides
to strike repeatedly with something long and thin or flexible
switched the stagecoach horses to control the direction they took
Synonyms & Similar Words
4
as in reverses
to change (as an opinion) to the contrary
a politician who has switched his position on a number of issues
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in licks
to strike repeatedly
the loose rigging switched the mast during the storm
Synonyms & Similar Words
1
as in whips
a long thin or flexible tool for striking
struck the horse's hide with a leather switch, and it took off at a gallop
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in flicks
a quick jerky movement from side to side or up and down
that telltale switch of the cat's tail meant there was a mouse under the piano
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in punches
a hard strike with a part of the body or an instrument
in frustration, he gave the mule a sharp switch on the rump, but it still wouldn't budge
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of switches
Nathan Canilao, Mercury News, 13 June 2026
Over the summer, Lawrence, like other college cities, switches from the liveliness of young students to the day-to-day of residents who have made a life there.
—Pj Green
june 13, Kansas City Star, 13 June 2026
After entering the ring, Apollo switches into an Uncle Sam costume.
—ABC News, 13 June 2026
The book switches between fonts, is interrupted with text boxes holding seemingly random information, is loaded down with footnotes, and includes paragraphs and columns of text that are upside down, reversed, or running vertically across the page.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 12 June 2026
This coral manicure switches up its style with every nail.
—Daisy Maldonado, InStyle, 12 June 2026
Alejo switches back to speakerphone and stays silent, copying the numbers Elizabeth is asking for from Flores’ enrollment paperwork in big block letters so Flores can read them aloud.
—Megan Greenwell, Bloomberg, 9 June 2026
Vinicius Jr often switches positions with Brazil’s left-winger to attack from his favorite area down the wing.
—Ahmed Walid, New York Times, 5 June 2026
At the moment Brigman is pronounced dead, the film switches its point of view.
—Jenny Odell, Longreads, 2 June 2026
Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 19 June 2026
Outdated radios, displays for controllers, and IP voice switches will also be replaced through these funds.
—Gabriela Vidal, CBS News, 18 June 2026
Then the driver has to look down, and [there are] 15 similar looking switches.
—Joel Feder, The Drive, 18 June 2026
The team used atom-level quantum mechanical calculations to identify the scaling limits of transistors, the tiny switches that control the flow of electricity in electronic devices.
—Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 16 June 2026
That will send someone like De’Aaron Fox and Dylan Harper off to guard Towns, which can either set off a series of switches to fix the cross-match or give Towns an advantage to go post-up or grab an offensive rebound.
—Jared Weiss, New York Times, 13 June 2026
My bill to ban Glock switches was never referred, my bill to set an age at 18 for constitutional carry in Missouri was also never referred to a committee.
—Ben Wheeler
june 12, Kansas City Star, 12 June 2026
Beneath the hot-swappable Keychron APEX switches are south-facing RGB LEDs which are fully customizable.
—Mark Sparrow, Forbes.com, 11 June 2026
Check the base of the beater shaft, rims around the motor housing, ventilation openings, and control knobs and switches.
—Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 11 June 2026
Verb
Nakase switches it up The Valkyries desperately needed a spark after such a sluggish first half.
—Nathan Canilao, Mercury News, 13 June 2026
Over the summer, Lawrence, like other college cities, switches from the liveliness of young students to the day-to-day of residents who have made a life there.
—Pj Green
june 13, Kansas City Star, 13 June 2026
After entering the ring, Apollo switches into an Uncle Sam costume.
—ABC News, 13 June 2026
The book switches between fonts, is interrupted with text boxes holding seemingly random information, is loaded down with footnotes, and includes paragraphs and columns of text that are upside down, reversed, or running vertically across the page.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 12 June 2026
This coral manicure switches up its style with every nail.
—Daisy Maldonado, InStyle, 12 June 2026
Alejo switches back to speakerphone and stays silent, copying the numbers Elizabeth is asking for from Flores’ enrollment paperwork in big block letters so Flores can read them aloud.
—Megan Greenwell, Bloomberg, 9 June 2026
Vinicius Jr often switches positions with Brazil’s left-winger to attack from his favorite area down the wing.
—Ahmed Walid, New York Times, 5 June 2026
At the moment Brigman is pronounced dead, the film switches its point of view.
—Jenny Odell, Longreads, 2 June 2026
Noun
If your phone switches to SOS mode, loses service or stops receiving calls and texts, contact your carrier right away.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 19 June 2026
Outdated radios, displays for controllers, and IP voice switches will also be replaced through these funds.
—Gabriela Vidal, CBS News, 18 June 2026
Then the driver has to look down, and [there are] 15 similar looking switches.
—Joel Feder, The Drive, 18 June 2026
The team used atom-level quantum mechanical calculations to identify the scaling limits of transistors, the tiny switches that control the flow of electricity in electronic devices.
—Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 16 June 2026
That will send someone like De’Aaron Fox and Dylan Harper off to guard Towns, which can either set off a series of switches to fix the cross-match or give Towns an advantage to go post-up or grab an offensive rebound.
—Jared Weiss, New York Times, 13 June 2026
My bill to ban Glock switches was never referred, my bill to set an age at 18 for constitutional carry in Missouri was also never referred to a committee.
—Ben Wheeler
june 12, Kansas City Star, 12 June 2026
Beneath the hot-swappable Keychron APEX switches are south-facing RGB LEDs which are fully customizable.
—Mark Sparrow, Forbes.com, 11 June 2026
Check the base of the beater shaft, rims around the motor housing, ventilation openings, and control knobs and switches.
—Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 11 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for switches
Verb
-
Critics will claim that trading Canadian or Danish oversight for an American protectorate merely swaps one master for another.—
Barry Scott Zellen,
Hartford Courant,
12 June 2026
-
That’s the idea behind scentscaping — a growing approach to home fragrance that swaps synthetic plug-ins and aerosol sprays for natural, intentional scent.—
Lauren Jarvis-Gibson,
Kansas City Star,
9 June 2026
Verb
-
The structure flaps its wings when powered by electricity.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
9 Apr. 2026
-
View gallery - 7 images A wooden dragon sculpture that gently flaps its wings has become a crowd-funding hit, but after seeing the traditional handcrafted work that's been put into every single model, making each one unique, the value of such a piece becomes strikingly clear.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
24 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Rehka literally hides under a table to avoid him.—
Tasha Robinson,
Vulture,
16 June 2026
-
The baked five cheese macaroni and cheese, a small and unlovely cup that hides so much depth and possibility, begs for perhaps crispy breadcrumbs to lend texture and toastiness.—
Louisa Kung Liu Chu,
Chicago Tribune,
16 June 2026
Verb
-
The relief partially reverses a trend that took hold after the Iran war began.—
Max Zahn,
ABC News,
17 June 2026
-
The cycle resembled theoretical versions of a Big Bang followed by a Big Crunch, a scenario in which the universe’s expansion eventually reverses.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
13 June 2026
Verb
-
Food stands also debuted that year, with ribs sizzling along with the blues licks.—
Adam Harrington,
CBS News,
9 June 2026
-
At one point in a dinner scene, Shields' Erika licks Joey's fingers.—
Raechal Shewfelt,
Entertainment Weekly,
6 June 2026
Noun
-
In our study, leadership included the speaker, party leaders, whips, caucus or conference chairs, and committee chairs or ranking members.—
Mayank Kejriwal,
The Conversation,
10 June 2026
-
And when the wind whips, the air reeks of a potent campfire — but no campers are around.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
10 June 2026
Noun
-
Buffy the Vampire Slayer alum Sarah Michelle Gellar strutted in the purple platform boots of the fashionable and upbeat Daphne Blake in both live-action Scooby-Doo flicks.—
Declan Gallagher,
Entertainment Weekly,
14 June 2026
-
Capote, Moneyball, Foxcatcher, and then…no new Bennett Miller flicks.—
Nate Freeman,
Vanity Fair,
12 June 2026
Noun
-
Most baseball fights produce a little shoving, occasional hugging, some dancing and pulled powderpuff punches.—
Kori Rumore,
Chicago Tribune,
13 June 2026
-
Three days before the first punches are set to be thrown at a White House-UFC event, the South Lawn is unrecognizable.—
Nik Popli,
Time,
11 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Switches.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/switches. Accessed 21 Jun. 2026.
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