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
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Recent Examples of switches
Stacy Lambe, PEOPLE, 29 May 2026
Twenty lift motors handle takeoff and landing, then the aircraft switches to forward flight using its wings for better efficiency.
—Sujita Sinha, Interesting Engineering, 28 May 2026
Sunday is when the brain quietly switches from personal time to performance mode — loading up tasks, scanning for unresolved emails, and bracing for early alarms.
—Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Kansas City Star, 27 May 2026
Some drivers may not know that and operate their plug-in hybrid like a regular hybrid car, which also switches between gas and electric power but doesn't have a charging option.
—Keith Laing, USA Today, 26 May 2026
Largely told in a dour naturalistic visual language, Barnard switches things up for one a classically beautiful image of lights shimmering on water.
—Sophie Monks Kaufman, IndieWire, 20 May 2026
That provides access to the Breville+ app, which offers hundreds of recipes and an Autopilot feature that walks you through the recipes and automatically switches the oven between cooking modes.
—Bestreviews, Mercury News, 20 May 2026
Pissed, Mary switches the set off.
—Literary Hub, 18 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
Nick Perry, USA Today, 28 May 2026
The brain switches between tasks, and each switch carries a cost of two to seven minutes of recovery time.
—Nell Derick Debevoise Dewey, Forbes.com, 28 May 2026
There aren’t too many screens, and there aren’t too many switches.
—Tc Sottek, The Verge, 27 May 2026
There were control panels, switches, meters.
—Wyatt Williams, Harpers Magazine, 26 May 2026
That central screen can of course do Apple CarPlay, but what's neat about it is that it's got physical switches for adjusting temperature, seat heating and cooling, and other functions – and they're beautifully integrated into the system for quick and intuitive interactions.
—New Atlas, 26 May 2026
But in the five-subs era, Rosenior could make three half-time switches and still have one in reserve.
—Michael Cox, New York Times, 25 May 2026
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
Verb
In addition to Kleinschmidt, 44, and Baeumler, 48, who switches over to being a mentor after several seasons of judging, the new season welcomes Renovation Aloha's Tristyn and Kamohai Kalama as the main scrutinizers of the weekly makeovers.
—Stacy Lambe, PEOPLE, 29 May 2026
Twenty lift motors handle takeoff and landing, then the aircraft switches to forward flight using its wings for better efficiency.
—Sujita Sinha, Interesting Engineering, 28 May 2026
Sunday is when the brain quietly switches from personal time to performance mode — loading up tasks, scanning for unresolved emails, and bracing for early alarms.
—Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Kansas City Star, 27 May 2026
Some drivers may not know that and operate their plug-in hybrid like a regular hybrid car, which also switches between gas and electric power but doesn't have a charging option.
—Keith Laing, USA Today, 26 May 2026
Largely told in a dour naturalistic visual language, Barnard switches things up for one a classically beautiful image of lights shimmering on water.
—Sophie Monks Kaufman, IndieWire, 20 May 2026
That provides access to the Breville+ app, which offers hundreds of recipes and an Autopilot feature that walks you through the recipes and automatically switches the oven between cooking modes.
—Bestreviews, Mercury News, 20 May 2026
Pissed, Mary switches the set off.
—Literary Hub, 18 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
Noun
The crew will shut off all gas lines, electrical circuits and breaker switches connected to the equipment.
—Nick Perry, USA Today, 28 May 2026
The brain switches between tasks, and each switch carries a cost of two to seven minutes of recovery time.
—Nell Derick Debevoise Dewey, Forbes.com, 28 May 2026
There aren’t too many screens, and there aren’t too many switches.
—Tc Sottek, The Verge, 27 May 2026
There were control panels, switches, meters.
—Wyatt Williams, Harpers Magazine, 26 May 2026
That central screen can of course do Apple CarPlay, but what's neat about it is that it's got physical switches for adjusting temperature, seat heating and cooling, and other functions – and they're beautifully integrated into the system for quick and intuitive interactions.
—New Atlas, 26 May 2026
But in the five-subs era, Rosenior could make three half-time switches and still have one in reserve.
—Michael Cox, New York Times, 25 May 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for switches
Verb
-
The new operator just makes the call, swaps the tool, and tells you the work is now twenty per cent faster.—
Jodie Cook,
Forbes.com,
26 May 2026
-
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
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
-
The long silhouette gives you ample coverage and hides pesky sweat spots (like the inner thighs), while still offering a lightweight feel.—
Alyssa Morin,
InStyle,
29 May 2026
-
But this spectacular view hides some interesting details.—
Chelsea Gohd,
Space.com,
27 May 2026
Verb
-
Regulators and reporters should stop describing USAT as Tether entering compliance, because that framing reverses the strategy.—
Zennon Kapron,
Forbes.com,
28 May 2026
-
The next 30 years will test whether this trend accelerates or reverses.—
John Hope Bryant,
Time,
28 May 2026
Verb
-
A lot of freedom going on between the guitars, a lotta little licks intermingle with the big guitar licks that the song is all about.—
Liza Lentini,
SPIN,
22 May 2026
-
At one point A’zion licks the digitally de-aged Mick Jagger’s face.—
Ethan Millman,
HollywoodReporter,
14 May 2026
Noun
-
Debris slams against the other side, whips beneath the door, slashing cuts into Jones’ and the doctor’s ankles.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
22 May 2026
-
Willow whips, vines and shorter branches will not be picked up during brush collection.—
Michelle Mullins,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The first of the month, as always, delivers a load of new content to Netflix, including the Riddick flicks, the Rocky movies, and more.—
K. Thor Jensen,
PC Magazine,
29 May 2026
-
Through the fuzz and the bad camera angles emerges an extraordinary catalogue of dummies, flicks, and feints, a hodge-podge of silly tricks.—
Jack Lang,
New York Times,
28 May 2026
Noun
-
Rhodes peppered Gunther with punches, a bionic elbow and a Pedigree for a nearfall.—
Alfred Konuwa,
Forbes.com,
31 May 2026
-
Stockstill was throwing punches, but not connecting.—
Mara H. Gottfried,
Twin Cities,
29 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Switches.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/switches. Accessed 7 Jun. 2026.
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