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

Unlike vacation rental platforms, PadSplit is a 12-week minimum commitment with the option to pay to leave early, after which the agreement switches to a week-by-week basis. — Diamy Wang august 15, Charlotte Observer, 15 Aug. 2026

There is one 12-month trial period that applies the first time someone switches to Advantage. — Diane Omdahl, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2026

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

Noun

Automakers increasingly replace intuitive mechanical controls with touchscreens, capacitive switches and electronic buttons. — Peter Lyon, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2026

Roughly 40% of Broadcom recent AI revenue came from networking (Tomahawk switches and related silicon), and the rest from custom XPUs/TPUs for hyperscalers and frontier labs including Google, OpenAI and Anthropic. — Jeff Kilburg, CNBC, 21 Aug. 2026

Little League World Series Teams 2026, Format The 20-team double-elimination tournament switches to a single-elimination format for the final bracket games. — Erin Lassner, HollywoodReporter, 19 Aug. 2026

Those system switches in 2024-25 were made because key winger Ephron Mason-Clark picked up an injury. — Liam Tharme, New York Times, 18 Aug. 2026

Bacteria become switches The researchers used Pantoea agglomerans, a bacterium commonly found on plants and other surfaces. — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 18 Aug. 2026

Parents can back that up at home by wiping down high-touch surfaces such as light switches, desks and door handles. — Ashley Lynch, Charlotte Observer, 18 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

Check your light switches to see if the lights flicker on demand, feel warm to the touch, or show any sparks, burning smells, or crackling sounds. — Bianca Lambert, Southern Living, 14 Aug. 2026