swallow 1 of 2

verb

Definition of swallownext
1
as in to sip
to take into the stomach through the mouth and throat try not to swallow the toothpaste

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
2
as in to stifle
to refrain from openly showing or uttering swallowed his pride and asked for help

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to believe
to regard as right or true my little niece swallows everything I tell her

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

swallow

2 of 2

noun

as in sip
the portion of a serving of a beverage that is swallowed at one time drank the cool refreshing water in two swallows and held out her cup for more

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 swallow
Verb
Avoid swallowing bodies of water and shower in clean water after swimming to reduce the risk of cross-contamination. — Kimberly Baker, The Conversation, 31 Aug. 2026 To address it by issuing new debt might be more debt than the financial markets are willing to swallow. — Ashley Lopez, NPR, 28 Aug. 2026
Noun
Victims can progressively lose their ability to move, swallow, and breathe. — Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 6 Aug. 2026 Every swallow requires more than 30 muscles and several nerves to work in perfect sequence. — Sundeep Venkatesan, The Conversation, 3 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for swallow
Recent Examples of Synonyms for swallow
  1. sip
  2. stifle
  3. believe
  4. gulp
  5. chew
  6. suppress
  7. take
  8. drink
Verb
  • Somewhere on a porch in rural Tennessee, the late Dolly Parton may have held up a dainty martini glass, sipping away as the orange sun set behind the Great Smokies.
    — Angela George, USA TODAY, 28 Aug. 2026
  • But at one Caribbean resort, guests can now sip frosty drinks by the pool, enjoy long dinners outdoors, or watch sunsets from the sand—all without swatting away mosquitoes.
    — Regan Stephens, Travel + Leisure, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of sip
Verb
  • Fresh off a walk-off loss the day before, Dave Roberts was asked about his team’s recent play and couldn’t stifle a yawn.
    — Katie Woo, New York Times, 31 Aug. 2026
  • On Monday, facing the stifling defense of the second-place Golden State Valkyries, Miles shot three of twelve from the field and gave up four turnovers.
    — Louisa Thomas, New Yorker, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of stifle
Verb
  • Flowers, who has been sidelined from practice in recent days, is believed to be dealing with a minor hamstring injury.
    — Jeff Zrebiec, New York Times, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Lamas claimed that Jackie believed that there was a link between her husband’s death and that of Marilyn Monroe, who died in 1962.
    — Lara Walsh, InStyle, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of believe
Noun
  • Kenzo leaned back so that his bobbing Adam’s apple was visible, and drank it down in one gulp.
    — Cynthia Zarin, Harpers Magazine, 4 Aug. 2026
  • Cradled in her arms, the newborn suckles eagerly, its tiny paws paddling the air with every gulp.
    — Julianna Bragg, CNN Money, 5 July 2026
Definition of gulp
Verb
  • Metal cages enclose the ends of the tube to prevent beavers from chewing or destroying them.
    — Jalen Williams, Freep.com, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Chunks of concrete were flung into a nesting and migration site important to some endangered species and a fire chewed through around 4 acres of Boca Chica State Park Land south of the Texas launchpad.
    — Lora Kolodny, CNBC, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of chew
Verb
  • This isn’t a matter of suppressing your emotions, which research has proven doesn't work.
    — Kevin Kruse, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026
  • In one of the findings, bat houses — artificial roosts in urban environments, similar to nest boxes for birds — were doing their job helping to suppress pests on pecan farms in Texas.
    — Shi En Kim, AZCentral.com, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of suppress
Verb
  • Investors are no longer treating the loop as background noise, repricing oil, bonds and taking into consideration a hawkish Fed.
    — Anniek Bao, CNBC, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Be honest without taking the no-filter approach to a whole new level!
    — Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of take
Noun
  • So when Billie and Issa get an actual offer for drinks with two firefighters who come to the house, Billie puts on a goofy British accent à la Issa and turns them down, choosing a quiet night at home with her friend instead.
    — Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 28 Aug. 2026
  • The company is known for its affordable drinks and ice cream, including its signature King Cone vanilla ice cream.
    — Jenny Lee, CNBC, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of drink

Browse Nearby Words

swales
swallow
swallowable
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Swallow.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/swallow. Accessed 4 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on swallow

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about swallow

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of apiary

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

A List of Most Commonly Confused Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 4
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
anagrams on a chalk board
Word Builder Quiz Vol. 2 Pick the letter that when added to a word will ma...
See All