SWAYING Synonyms: 169 Similar and Opposite Words

swaying 1 of 3

adjective

as in lilting

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Dissimilar Words

swaying

2 of 3

noun

as in influencing

Related Words

swaying

3 of 3

verb

present participle of sway

as in affecting

to act upon (a person or a person's feelings) so as to cause a response how can you not be swayed by that precious kitten, meowing as if to say, "Please take me home with you?"

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in lurching

to make a series of unsteady side-to-side motions the way the ski lift was swaying in the wind made me nervous

Synonyms & Similar Words

as in governing

archaic to exercise authority or power over an epic novel set in the days when Rome swayed the Western world

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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 swaying

Adjective

As the sun set below blush clouds, the gently swaying crowd matched the R&B singer’s sultry energy. — Anna Haines, Vogue, 23 Sep. 2025

Noun

The new Chandelier sandal, characterized by its serpent-spiral shape, is hand embroidered with more than 170 swaying drop beads made from multifaceted or transparent crystals. — Katie Abel, Footwear News, 28 Sep. 2026 Gerber was just 18 at the time, and appeared in the cover swaying and singing with Cara Delevingne and Ashley Benson. — Leigh Blickley, Entertainment Weekly, 12 Aug. 2026 To me, what emerges from this swaying feels more natural than simply forging ahead with a predetermined, easily understood logic. — Y-Jean Mun-Delsalle, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026 Jordyn was admitted without delay, and before receiving her epidural, Haley and Kelsy stayed close, offering steady support through hip pressure, gentle swaying and laughter. — Christina Cardona, USA Today, 15 July 2026 During those exercises, the arresting officer wrote that Zenk showed multiple signs of impairment, including balance issues, swaying and difficulty following instructions. — Deirdre Durkan, PEOPLE, 30 June 2026 Residents described evacuating swaying buildings and seeing entire walls collapse. — Kaylah Jackson, NBC news, 25 June 2026 People evacuated swaying buildings and homes in the capital, Caracas. — ABC News, 24 June 2026 Naturally, all eyes were on Swift for much of the night, and the unapologetic fan of popular music did not disappoint — singing along, cheering, swaying, even holding on to her guy for brief moments. — Shirley Halperin, Rolling Stone, 12 June 2026

Verb

The observer at the edge of the dance-floor, secretly swaying with the rhythm. — Literary Hub, 8 Oct. 2026 But the man simply stood there with a dazed expression on his face, swaying gently in the living room of their small, cramped flat, like a lone tree in the breeze. — Rachel Heng, New Yorker, 4 Oct. 2026 The surf was raging, completely enveloping the craft with only the swaying masts visible in the blackness of the night. — CBS News, 29 Sep. 2026 For more than three decades, his romantic ballads and hits have provided the soundtrack for couples swaying cheek-to-cheek to the sensual gouyad of konpa rhythms. — Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 23 Sep. 2026 This prevents specialists from swaying recommendations based on conflicts of interest. — Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 17 Sep. 2026 The Daisy Chain crowd could be seen holding up their lights and swaying to the music. — Charlotte Phillipp, PEOPLE, 31 Aug. 2026 Everyone seemingly watches them — and a little tennis — with a $23 Honey Deuce in one hand, swaying to DJ Trizz’s mixes on the sound system. — Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 20 Aug. 2026 Even the unofficial mayor of the city, filmmaker Sterlin Harjo, is swaying in the corner. — Alana Al-Hatlani, Southern Living, 20 Aug. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for swaying

Adjective

The service From the lilting sawatdeekas to the wai greetings at every turn—the service here is textbook Thai.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 Oct. 2026
Her honeyed vocals are a powerful pairing for this track’s lilting, contemplative production.

— Lyndsey Havens, Billboard, 25 Sep. 2026

Definition of lilting

Noun

Suleiman Sami’s business, S Sami Services LLC, provides transportation services, event ticket sales and social media influencing.

— Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 2 Sep. 2026
When students graduate, they'll be prepared for roles in content strategy, digital influencing, brand development, social media management and audience engagement across industries.

— Michelle Del Rey, USA Today, 6 Aug. 2026

Definition of influencing

Verb

That can be normal in venture, where deals are attributed to top partners, but seems to be affecting women more.

— Emma Hinchliffe, Fortune, 19 Oct. 2026
At the same time, Harris, closer in age to his part than the women, moves and sounds like the old cowboys, with an affecting note of sorrow — the lion dying, and dying with regrets — sounding throughout his performance.

— Sara Holdren, Vulture, 19 Oct. 2026

Definition of affecting

Verb

In 1932, Carlos (Milo Quifes) is a young man in Grenada at a time when Spain is lurching uncomfortably towards an ever-increasing spiteful intolerance of homosexuality.

— Baz Bamigboye, Deadline, 16 Oct. 2026
Maybe this is what the Chargers are — lurching, sputtering and unable to consistently move the football, despite an offensive overhaul packed with lofty expectations.

— Assistant Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 21 Sep. 2026

Definition of lurching

Verb

And the United States has also failed to invest consistently in international technical standards — the common rules governing advanced and interconnected technologies such as telecommunications.

— Andrei Iancu, Fortune, 20 Oct. 2026
However, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, whose religious-nationalist coalition is projected to lose its governing majority at the October 27 election, has been more circumspect.

— Reuters, NBC news, 19 Oct. 2026

Definition of governing

Noun

The researchers’ solution was to stop relying only on what the person was physically asking, either by action or direct prompting, and instead receive confirmation from the brain itself.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 4 Oct. 2026
These episodes have heightened fears about AI agents taking actions without human prompting.

— Deven Desai, The Conversation, 29 Sep. 2026

Definition of prompting

Verb

After stepping into a bigger role with most of the Heat’s rotation regulars out and impressing in Saturday night’s preseason loss to the Timberwolves, Conwell again made some positive plays on Wednesday.

— Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 15 Oct. 2026
The interior walls are patterned with motifs ranging from grapevines to geometric forms made by impressing food containers into the concrete.

— Tim Hornyak, New York Times, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of impressing

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“Swaying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/swaying. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of swaying

adjective

noun

verb

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