Synonyms of switches

switches 1 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of switch

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

• swaps
• exchanges
• substitutes
• trades
• changes
• shifts
• replaces
• commutes
• interchanges
• supersedes
• displaces
• yields
• reciprocates
• cedes
• surrenders
• hands over

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

• flaps
• flicks
• swings
• waggles
• swishes
• jerks
• twitches
• bobs
• wags
• waves
• oscillates
• sways
• flutters
• rocks
• flickers
• shakes
• wavers
• flops
• whips
• flails
• lashes
• wiggles
• jolts
• nods
• jiggles
• beats
• jogs
• joggles
• jigs

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

• hides
• whips
• flicks
• slashes
• hits
• cuts
• slaps
• knocks
• flails
• lashes
• punches
• licks
• flagellates
• flogs
• thrashes
• clips
• spanks
• leathers
• scourges
• swipes
• tans
• bats
• straps
• bangs
• pounds
• boxes
• whales
• smacks
• whacks
• mauls
• birches
• horsewhips
• beats
• claps
• thumps
• cowhides
• quirts
• clubs
• socks
• canes
• swats
• knouts
• paddles
• rawhides
• hammers
• belts
• cracks
• bops
• works over
• bashes
• pelts
• lams
• cuffs
• pastes
• thwacks
• clouts
• touches up
• slugs
• slates
• cudgels
• laces
• buffets
• mangles
• clobbers
• batters
• smites
• bludgeons
• busts
• pummels
• fustigates
• threshes
• wallops
• bastes
• pistol-whips
• lambastes
• belabors
• blackjacks
• lathers
• slogs
• roughs
• fibs
• tromps
• drubs
• pommels
• whups
• bungs
• whops

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

• reverses
• overturns
• revokes
• reverts
• strikes down
• abrogates
• rescinds
• repeals
• backtracks
• annuls
• countermands
• about-faces

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• supports
• maintains
• upholds

5

as in licks

to strike repeatedly

the loose rigging switched the mast during the storm

Synonyms & Similar Words

• licks
• hides
• pounds
• whips
• lashes
• hits
• attacks
• knocks
• beats
• punches
• slaps
• does
• thumps
• slams
• pelts
• smashes
• assaults
• batters
• bats
• boxes
• paddles
• spanks
• hammers
• belts
• works over
• bashes
• raids
• chops
• clubs
• mauls
• swipes
• slates
• curries
• buffets
• laces
• flogs
• punches out
• thrashes
• bludgeons
• smacks
• pummels
• threshes
• whacks
• bastes
• drubs
• tans
• lambastes
• wallops
• belabors
• storms
• lathers
• beats up on
• slogs
• tromps
• fibs
• rushes
• whales
• roughs (up)
• pommels
• messes (up)
• straps
• socks
• cracks
• descends (on or upon)
• birches
• wounds
• whups
• jumps (on)
• bungs up
• swats
• whops
• pastes
• lays on
• whams
• lams
• thwacks
• cuffs
• clouts
• clobbers
• assails
• flagellates
• besets
• busts
• lacerates
• canes
• whomps
• pounces (on or upon)
• cudgels
• leathers
• scourges
• pistol-whips
• gores
• fustigates
• mangles
• mutilates
• horsewhips
• maims
• blackjacks
• cowhides
• rawhides

switches

2 of 2

noun

plural of switch

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

• whips
• straps
• canes
• batons
• floggers
• lashes
• bats
• crops
• scourges
• knouts
• quirts
• birches
• hickories
• rattans
• flails
• bullwhips
• billy clubs
• blacksnakes
• staffs
• cat-o'-nine-tails
• bludgeons
• billies
• bastinadoes
• nightsticks
• cudgels
• clubs
• rawhides
• cowhides

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

• flaps
• flicks
• whisks
• twitches
• wags
• swings
• shakes
• waves
• wiggles
• waggles
• flutters
• nods
• rocks
• jerks
• whips
• oscillations
• swishes
• wavers
• jolts
• snaps
• sways
• bobs
• jiggles

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

• punches
• swipes
• blows
• thumps
• hits
• slaps
• thuds
• knocks
• strokes
• pounds
• whacks
• pokes
• licks
• spanks
• smacks
• hooks
• clips
• slams
• beats
• bangs
• claps
• belts
• kicks
• socks
• hacks
• fillips
• boxes
• chops
• stripes
• swats
• lashes
• cuffs
• bats
• raps
• bops
• buffets
• hands
• pelts
• whams
• picks
• biffs
• swings
• smashes
• bashes
• slugs
• thwacks
• haymakers
• douses
• clouts
• stingers
• dabs
• welts
• lickings
• cracks
• knees
• whops
• plumps
• busts
• counters
• larrups
• wallops
• counterstrokes
• counterblows
• beatings
• body blows
• counterpunches
• sucker punches
• shivers
• rabbit punches
• whips
• lefts
• roundhouses
• rights
• uppercuts
• knockdowns
• KOs
• sidewinders
• knockouts
• right-handers
• batterings
• whippings
• bastinadoes
• crunchers
• pastings
• thrashings
• drubbings
• wallopings
• kayos
• one-twos

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of switches

Verb

Her eyes flash a menacing blue as the scene switches to a film-noir black-and-white. — Andy Andersen, Vulture, 7 Aug. 2026

If Ferran switches allegiances, the Blaugrana might have to rely on Lamine Yamal or Dani Olmo as a false 9. — Tom Sanderson, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2026

On cold-weather cruises like mine, the event switches to a galley lunch, with buffet tables positioned throughout Amphora’s kitchen area. — Erica Silverstein, Travel + Leisure, 4 Aug. 2026

The video switches over to drone footage just before Ship hits the water, capturing from above the dramatic splashdown — and Ship's survival, despite the outbreak of a sizeable fire around its nose. — Mike Wall, Space.com, 27 July 2026

The World Cup has come to an end, so the focus for fans immediately switches back to transfers and domestic football. — Art De Roché, New York Times, 22 July 2026

In her dual role, Chastain switches seamlessly between her two personas while the rest of the family struggles to keep track of who’s who. — Emma Banks, PEOPLE, 22 July 2026

When there isn’t enough light for a colorful picture, the camera switches to a crisper black-and-white image to preserve detail. — Kelsey Fogarty, PC Magazine, 22 July 2026

Soon, the focus switches to an ordinary bank manager, Jaswant Singh Khalra (played by pop star Diljit Dosanjh), whose kindly demeanor sets him on a collision course with corrupt and dangerous forces. — Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 20 July 2026

Noun

The program provides basic repair services for issues such as leaky faucets, light switches, or even just changing a light bulb. — Steve Metsch, Chicago Tribune, 14 Aug. 2026

Eastbrook and Shell are two control points along the route, where dispatchers control the signals and switches for trains. — Phil Diehl, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Aug. 2026

This mix of modernity and tradition works well, both inside and out, where a stroll around the ground’s perimeter switches quickly from feeling gloriously old-school to being brought right up to date. — Richard Sutcliffe, New York Times, 13 Aug. 2026

The house has electricity, tiny light switches in each room and a working doorbell. — Georgia Slater, PEOPLE, 13 Aug. 2026

The Cocoa Multimodal station would be where the train track switches from an east-west path along State Road 528 to its north-south path along the Florida East Coast Railway tracks. — Richard Tribou, The Orlando Sentinel, 12 Aug. 2026

The keyboard is quiet, too, which is something mechanical keyboards still struggle to achieve without specialized silent switches. — Sascha Brodsky, PC Magazine, 11 Aug. 2026

The only 16mm shot of the film is of Billy (Anderson) looking directly at the camera before the film flares out and switches to the Little Death oner. — Matt Minton, Variety, 9 Aug. 2026

And some features that had previously been eliminated needed to be returned to the home, including original roofing, porches and even light switches. — Dakota Kim, Los Angeles Times, 6 Aug. 2026