1
as in swapping
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 flicking
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 hiding
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 reversing
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 licking
to strike repeatedly
the loose rigging switched the mast during the storm
Synonyms & Similar Words
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 switching
Carolina also surrendered a high number of goals before switching from Frederik Andersen to Brandon Bussi, who allowed three goals in Game 4 and two more in Game 5.
—
Matt Reigle Outkick, FOXNews.com, 14 June 2026
Peacock is also switching tactics from past channels’ campaigns for espionage series.
—Whitney Friedlander, Variety, 14 June 2026
Earlier this month, CBS News reported that lawyers for the center were instructing staff to immediately begin the process of switching the name of the facility back to its original title.
—Kathryn Watson, CBS News, 12 June 2026
Here’s what to know about bemeotrizinol, and whether experts recommend eventually switching to products that contain it.
—Danielle Zickl, Health, 12 June 2026
The Dutch team reserved the first 10 minutes of Wednesday’s news conference for English-speaking media before switching to the native Dutch language.
—Pj Green, Kansas City Star, 11 June 2026
And give him credit for switching Anunoby onto Fox, gumming up San Antonio’s offense in the fourth quarter — especially when the Spurs never adjusted by going away from the matchup.
—Joe Vardon, New York Times, 11 June 2026
Yung-Shin Kung said that CTAs had captured the rally in precious metals, primarily silver and gold, at the beginning of the year, before switching to industrial metals that are poised to benefit from AI infrastructure investment and supply constraints caused by the Iran war.
—Hugh Leask, CNBC, 5 June 2026
One of the show’s most radical changes from Broadway is switching the genders of a few characters from male to female.
—Devon Ivie, Vulture, 4 June 2026
Matt Reigle Outkick, FOXNews.com, 14 June 2026
Peacock is also switching tactics from past channels’ campaigns for espionage series.
—Whitney Friedlander, Variety, 14 June 2026
Earlier this month, CBS News reported that lawyers for the center were instructing staff to immediately begin the process of switching the name of the facility back to its original title.
—Kathryn Watson, CBS News, 12 June 2026
Here’s what to know about bemeotrizinol, and whether experts recommend eventually switching to products that contain it.
—Danielle Zickl, Health, 12 June 2026
The Dutch team reserved the first 10 minutes of Wednesday’s news conference for English-speaking media before switching to the native Dutch language.
—Pj Green, Kansas City Star, 11 June 2026
And give him credit for switching Anunoby onto Fox, gumming up San Antonio’s offense in the fourth quarter — especially when the Spurs never adjusted by going away from the matchup.
—Joe Vardon, New York Times, 11 June 2026
Yung-Shin Kung said that CTAs had captured the rally in precious metals, primarily silver and gold, at the beginning of the year, before switching to industrial metals that are poised to benefit from AI infrastructure investment and supply constraints caused by the Iran war.
—Hugh Leask, CNBC, 5 June 2026
One of the show’s most radical changes from Broadway is switching the genders of a few characters from male to female.
—Devon Ivie, Vulture, 4 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for switching
Verb
-
Iniesta did it beautifully, swapping the ball from one foot to the other in one fluid movement, often as an opponent jumped in to make a challenge.—
Stuart James,
New York Times,
16 June 2026
-
By swapping Norton with Morris, the Falcons still have an abundance of candidates set to compete for the starting job at right tackle, which will be the blindside for either Tagovailoa or Penix.—
Daniel Flick,
AJC.com,
15 June 2026
Verb
-
Kamara found it a couple of hours before kick-off when flicking through a copy of the matchday programme.—
Richard Sutcliffe,
New York Times,
23 May 2026
-
The dragons stalk the island, flicking their huge tongues in hopes of picking up the scent of a deer, wild boar, or water buffalo — the latter two species introduced by humans — or rodents and other smaller reptiles, including baby Komodo dragons.—
Craig Stanford,
Big Think,
7 May 2026
Verb
-
Officials found three passengers in the cabin and their suspect hiding in the lavatory, Bali immigration authorities said in a statement.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
11 June 2026
-
The platforms that win will be the ones enabling accountable data access and transparent decision-making, not those hiding behind complexity.—
Ivan Guzenko,
Forbes.com,
11 June 2026
Verb
-
Space stocks — The group slid, reversing earlier gains.—
Darla Mercado, CFP®,Fred Imbert,
CNBC,
12 June 2026
-
And net earnings totaled $48 million, reversing a loss of $2 million a year earlier.—
Evan Clark,
Footwear News,
11 June 2026
Verb
-
That licking instinct may have led Jacobs’s elk to an area known as Flag Swamp, a one-acre wetland filled with blue flag irises and shrubby willow trees.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 June 2026
-
Finally, monitor pets for behavioral changes, as pets may experience pain, licking or chewing at a wound, loss of appetite and lethargy.—
Mateo Rosiles,
USA Today,
9 June 2026
Verb
-
The apparent loss of the aircraft came after hostilities in the region escalated over the weekend, with Iran and Israel exchanging their first direct strikes in months late Sunday.—
Todd Symons,
CNN Money,
9 June 2026
-
An armed intruder was shot and killed after exchanging gunfire with a homeowner, authorities said.—
Jazmin Alvarado,
Los Angeles Times,
9 June 2026
Verb
-
The slot formerly occupied by a performance from the Commodores will now be filled with the sound of a lone Gadsden flag flapping on its pole.—
Alexandra Petri,
The Atlantic,
3 June 2026
-
The fathers, faces ruddy, prayed in Latin for her soul, black robes flapping in the wind.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
26 May 2026
Verb
-
The Seahawks won those shootouts, but that was mostly due to their special teams whipping the Rams and their offense going off, especially in the Super Bowl qualifier.—
Tom Krasovic,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
2 June 2026
-
Throughout the record, the image of Petras’ life in freefall recurs, giving the record a sense of hair-whipping freedom and heart-stopping urgency.—
Harry Tafoya,
Pitchfork,
2 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Switching.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/switching. Accessed 17 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
