SWITCHES Synonyms: 241 Similar and Opposite Words

switches 1 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of switch

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

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Relevance

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

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as in hides

to strike repeatedly with something long and thin or flexible switched the stagecoach horses to control the direction they took

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as in reverses

to change (as an opinion) to the contrary a politician who has switched his position on a number of issues

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in licks

to strike repeatedly the loose rigging switched the mast during the storm

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switches

2 of 2

noun

plural of switch

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

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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

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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

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of switches

Verb

To further aid in weight savings, Airstream sizes certain equipment down or switches it over to the options sheet. —

C.c. Weiss may 15, New Atlas, 15 May 2026 If you weren’t sold by the rapping and the Auto-Tune, Akylas slows it down in the final verse and switches the meaning of the song. —

Charlie Harding, Vulture, 15 May 2026 Red light switches them back into a free-swimming state. —

Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 15 May 2026 The action switches between Mission Control and the lunar surface as the race against time builds. —

Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 7 May 2026 This 2-gallon watering can pulls double duty with a removable stainless steel shower head that switches between a gentle sprinkle for delicate plants and a steady stream for thirstier ones. —

Jill Layton, PEOPLE, 27 Apr. 2026 This service automatically switches to cellular internet when your primary connection goes down keeping you online during outages caused by power shut offs or natural disasters. —

Cox Communications, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Apr. 2026 Here, in the 3-2 win against Fulham on February 1, Fernandes is in a central position as Lisandro Martinez switches the ball to Amad on the United right. —

Ahmed Walid, New York Times, 22 Apr. 2026 Near the end of this complex six-hundred-page book, Yamashita switches to a collective pronoun, suggesting that a common dream has connected her characters. —

Hua Hsu, New Yorker, 20 Apr. 2026

Noun

All rooms feature wheelchair-accessible doors, lowered peepholes, light switches, and closet door handles; a roll-in shower or tub with grab bars; and teletypewriters and telecommunications devices available upon request. —

Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 20 May 2026 Agents involved in the more than 73,000 unauthorized plan switches often relied on people not knowing this check existed. —

Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 19 May 2026 Classical computing systems are binary, where bits function like light switches, either on or off. —

Aldo Svaldi, Mercury News, 19 May 2026 Classical computing systems are binary, where bits function like light switches, either on or off. —

Aldo Svaldi, Denver Post, 18 May 2026 Instead of being found by quick switches of play, Grimaldo and Frimpong would often become involved in moves higher up the pitch after the ball had worked its way through Alonso’s midfield box (consisting of the two deeper midfielders and two No 10s). —

Liam Twomey, New York Times, 17 May 2026 Boaters should also use engine cutoff switches, which can stop a runaway vessel if an operator is thrown overboard. —

Chicago Tribune, 16 May 2026 From dot-com darling to infrastructure workhorse Founded in 1984, Cisco is traditionally known as the backbone of the internet—its routers, switches, and networking hardware have powered enterprise and carrier networks for decades. —

Sheryl Estrada, Fortune, 15 May 2026 During the third quarter, Cisco announced switches and routers that use its next-generation processor. —

Jordan Novet, CNBC, 13 May 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for switches

Verb

Hethington swaps the sliced plantain for his own pasta, made primarily with puréed plantains, some tapioca starch and a little bit of all-purpose flour.

— Jenn Harris, Los Angeles Times, 14 May 2026
Tom Holland swaps his padel for a HexClad pan while hosting his 2nd Annual Bero Padel Classic on April 29 in Los Angeles.

— Toria Sheffield, PEOPLE, 4 May 2026