Synonyms of switching

switching

verb

present participle of switch

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

• swapping
• exchanging
• substituting
• changing
• trading
• shifting
• replacing
• commuting
• interchanging
• displacing
• superseding
• reciprocating
• yielding
• surrendering
• ceding
• handing over

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

• flicking
• flapping
• swinging
• swishing
• twitching
• bobbing
• jerking
• wagging
• waving
• swaying
• waggling
• oscillating
• fluttering
• rocking
• wavering
• shaking
• flickering
• whipping
• flailing
• lashing
• flopping
• wiggling
• jolting
• jigging
• nodding
• jiggling
• beating
• jogging
• joggling

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

• hiding
• whipping
• flicking
• slashing
• cutting
• hitting
• knocking
• slapping
• lashing
• flailing
• licking
• punching
• thrashing
• tanning
• flogging
• flagellating
• banging
• spanking
• clipping
• swiping
• smacking
• whaling
• batting
• pounding
• strapping
• whacking
• rawhiding
• scourging
• leathering
• cowhiding
• mauling
• horsewhipping
• beating
• birching
• boxing
• thumping
• clapping
• swatting
• quirting
• knouting
• cracking
• bashing
• clubbing
• socking
• touching up
• caning
• mangling
• hammering
• slugging
• pelting
• cudgeling
• pasting
• clobbering
• bopping
• battering
• smiting
• pummeling
• thwacking
• paddling
• slating
• clouting
• lathering
• busting
• working over
• blackjacking
• cuffing
• lambasting
• belting
• fustigating
• roughing
• slogging
• basting
• buffeting
• bludgeoning
• bunging
• lamming
• whopping
• walloping
• fibbing
• pistol-whipping
• lacing
• pommeling
• belaboring
• tromping
• threshing
• drubbing
• whupping

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

• reversing
• overturning
• revoking
• reverting
• abrogating
• rescinding
• striking down
• repealing
• annulling
• backtracking
• countermanding
• about-facing

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• maintaining
• supporting
• upholding

5

as in licking

to strike repeatedly

the loose rigging switched the mast during the storm

Synonyms & Similar Words

• licking
• hiding
• pounding
• doing
• whipping
• lashing
• attacking
• knocking
• hitting
• beating
• slapping
• punching
• slamming
• battering
• pelting
• thumping
• smashing
• assaulting
• chopping
• batting
• bashing
• raiding
• spanking
• hammering
• swiping
• pummeling
• slating
• mauling
• lathering
• boxing
• smacking
• paddling
• thrashing
• lambasting
• currying
• working over
• whacking
• clubbing
• tanning
• punching out
• flogging
• belting
• storming
• slogging
• bludgeoning
• buffeting
• basting
• whopping
• fibbing
• rushing
• walloping
• pommeling
• lacing
• tromping
• whaling
• belaboring
• cracking
• drubbing
• messing (up)
• roughing (up)
• threshing
• swatting
• bunging up
• strapping
• pasting
• beating up on
• wounding
• clobbering
• socking
• assailing
• birching
• whupping
• descending (on or upon)
• thwacking
• jumping (on)
• cudgeling
• busting
• cuffing
• laying on
• besetting
• lamming
• pouncing (on or upon)
• mangling
• clouting
• whamming
• flagellating
• whomping
• mutilating
• blackjacking
• lacerating
• caning
• rawhiding
• fustigating
• leathering
• scourging
• cowhiding
• goring
• pistol-whipping
• maiming
• horsewhipping

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of switching

The problem is that restarting an aircraft factory after 11 years isn’t like switching a machine back on. — Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 19 Sep. 2026

These cortical cells make up only around one percent of the cortex’s inhibitory neurons, and switching them on in a mouse puts the animal to sleep. — Jacek Krywko, ArsTechnica, 18 Sep. 2026

Marc Ellinger, an attorney for the two Republican lawmakers, has argued that switching congressional maps between the primary and general elections violated federal law. — Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 17 Sep. 2026

And when your current machine reaches the end of its life, switching to an ENERGY STAR model can reduce water use by roughly 30%. — Ryan Brennan, Charlotte Observer, 17 Sep. 2026

With so many homes and businesses switching to solar, often those with larger energy usage, utility firms are contending with reduced revenue, and less reliable demand. — Jon Martindale, PC Magazine, 17 Sep. 2026

The federal government has been rescheduling court dates and switching virtual hearings to in-person with little notice. — Syra Ortiz Blanes, Miami Herald, 17 Sep. 2026

The legal services consultant, Colorado attorney Brent Butzin, billed the rail authority $127,000 for travel between September 2024 and September 2025, before switching to a financial advising contract, according to the inspector general report. — Lia Russell, Sacbee.com, 16 Sep. 2026

While many employers look down on this sort of professional promiscuity, new research suggests there are benefits to switching jobs frequently. — Adrian Ma, NPR, 4 Sep. 2026