switches 1 of 2

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

Relevance
2
3
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

switches

2 of 2

noun

plural of switch
1
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

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
Her connection to Grace shows the universality of issues among women, and switches the often fraught relationship between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law on its head. Billie Melissa, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Oct. 2025 If a team switches frequently in and out of tempo plays, scouts can bring that back to coaches, who will install similar periods in practice. Jourdan Rodrigue, New York Times, 17 Oct. 2025 When the surface bite slows, Zaremba switches to bucktail jigs and Rat-L-Traps, which can be worked deeper. Steve Waters, Miami Herald, 10 Oct. 2025 There, the music switches to distant, classical pomp and the actor takes a seat at a tidy press junket-style set. Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 8 Oct. 2025 Ciays 42-Inch Gas Fire Pit Table This option has a removable lid that instantly switches it from a modern outdoor table to an upscale fire pit for gathering. Rylee Johnston, PEOPLE, 7 Oct. 2025 Though the kitchen switches up the presentation seasonally, on my visit, these tender little pillows floated in a delicate tomatoey broth alongside chunks of local Louisiana crab. The Bon Appétit Staff, Bon Appetit Magazine, 29 Sep. 2025 By replacing silicon with a magnetic semiconductor, the team created a device that not only switches current but can also store information. Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 23 Sep. 2025 After reading some of the nonsensical speech, Jordan switches to the female form and goes off-script to reveal that Andre’s dead. Olivia Singh, Forbes.com, 17 Sep. 2025
Noun
Although the video began in black-and-white, when Alaina and Moeller pull the poppers, the video switches to color and reveals that the backdrop behind them features pink and blue flowers. Hannah Sacks, PEOPLE, 27 Oct. 2025 Cheaper options or knock-offs tend to come with flimsy sockets, buzzing ballasts, or unreliable switches, which can make rooms look cheap or dated far sooner than expected and even create fire hazards. Lauren Bengtson, Better Homes & Gardens, 25 Oct. 2025 Spray it on doorknobs and handles, stovetops, countertops, refrigerator shelves, and light switches. Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 25 Oct. 2025 Contactors are high-voltage switches that connect the battery pack to the rest of the vehicle's system. PC Magazine, 25 Oct. 2025 On defense, the switches happened seamlessly and relentlessly, with Green acting as the board operator. Evan Webeck, Mercury News, 24 Oct. 2025 One of Puth’s greatest talents is constructing songs that sound simple but are powered by dynamic chord switches and deceptively complicated harmonies. Steven J. Horowitz, Variety, 17 Oct. 2025 The law comes after years of criticism and litigation aimed at Glock for continuing to manufacture guns compatible with the switches. Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 15 Oct. 2025 Glock switches, also known as auto sears or selector switches, can be ordered online or made at home with a 3D printer. Alex Riggins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for switches
Verb
  • Yankee Candle Home Sweet Home Large Jar Candle Right around the first week of November every year, my mom swaps her light, clean scents for Yankee Candle's Home Sweet Home, which is one of her favorites.
    Toni Sutton, PEOPLE, 24 Oct. 2025
  • Walmart has three other 1-click holiday meal baskets including a Balanced Thanksgiving higher-protein meal that swaps some items from the standard meal deal, a Gluten-free Thanksgiving meal, and a Prime Rib meal basket.
    Mike Snider, USA Today, 22 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • In the canonical metaphorical example, a butterfly flaps its wings in Brazil, and the cascading sequence of atmospheric perturbations leads to a tornado in Texas.
    Dan Garisto, Scientific American, 22 Oct. 2025
  • That goes for Jimmy Kimmel and for anybody who flaps their gums for a living.
    Jesse Edwards, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Incarceration often hides in plain sight.
    PhotoVogue, Vogue, 25 Oct. 2025
  • The scene from Badlands hangs over the songwriting like a dark cloud; Spacek’s bedroom in the scene looks quite a bit like the bedroom in which the young Springsteen hides from his own angry father.
    Sadie Sartini Garner, Pitchfork, 24 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • The Interior Department announcement reverses moves by former President Joe Biden's administration to restrict drilling there.
    Nichola Groom, USA Today, 23 Oct. 2025
  • This measurement, Gilberton says, reverses the conventional belief that East Crestone is the sub-summit of Crestone Peak.
    Madison Dapcevich, Outside, 17 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Posted to the account @maisythemarshmallow on September 19, the video shows the dog, named Maisy, lying calmly as the cat snuggles up and licks her face.
    Melissa Fleur Afshar, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Sep. 2025
  • When asked the question, the owl takes the lollipop and licks it three times before chomping down on its hard shell exterior and handing the stick back to the child.
    Moná Thomas, People.com, 8 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • WASP-39b is about the size of Saturn and whips around its sunlike star once every four days; that broiling orbit heats the planet’s dayside to 1,430 degrees Fahrenheit (776 degrees Celsius).
    Nola Taylor Tillman, Scientific American, 13 Oct. 2025
  • But Siepierski also concluded that the mansion probably was a brothel, based on what the neighbors said and the volume of racy lingerie, high heels, leather, whips and correspondence.
    Frank Witsil, Freep.com, 9 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • In September 2025, Lupe shared another photo on Instagram of the two kissing outside of her husband's art show, as well as some flicks of the gallery itself.
    Emily Weaver, PEOPLE, 23 Oct. 2025
  • But horror flicks since 2001 have been revolutionary in their own way, using technology and modern issues to examine the darker sides of humanity.
    Brian Truitt, USA Today, 21 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Despite its 2-5 record, Cleveland can throw some punches through one of the fiercest defensive lines in football.
    Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 25 Oct. 2025
  • Leo pulls no punches as Lizzo matches her intensity in a whisper.
    Meagan Jordan, Rolling Stone, 23 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Switches.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/switches. Accessed 30 Oct. 2025.

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