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 celebrities sucked up a lot of air, and so the show leaned in, switching to all-celebrity casts. — Doreen St. Félix, New Yorker, 24 Oct. 2026

Anthropic’s launch of Claude Duet may be partly defensive, giving Claude Pro and Max users a way to hand off more of their daily tasks without switching to a rival’s assistant. — Wen Shao, Fortune, 23 Oct. 2026

One of the biggest changes Moore made ahead of the Oregon State game was at quarterback, switching out junior starting quarterback Caden Pinnick for sophomore Owen Eshelman. — Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 23 Oct. 2026

That agency plans to save water by leaving some fields dry and switching to crops that use less. — Ian James, Los Angeles Times, 23 Oct. 2026

No one will fault Apatow for switching his styles up — probably. — Tony Maglio, HollywoodReporter, 23 Oct. 2026

The twist here is that the action is derived from two different points in history, switching back and forth between eras and ultimately melding the two. — Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune, 22 Oct. 2026

Their teammate had begun the season competing in boys’ races before switching to girls’ competition. — Jackson Thompson Outkick, FOXNews.com, 17 Oct. 2026

Defensive coordinator Corey Batoon dialed up more blitzes and two-high safety coverages in the second half, switching from a first-half strategy that was full of single-high and some three-man rushes. — Pj Green, Kansas City Star, 17 Oct. 2026