SWELLS Synonyms: 189 Similar and Opposite Words

swells 1 of 2

noun

plural of swell

as in projections

a part that sticks out from the general mass of something the graceful swell of the bottle was meant to be evocative of the female figure

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as in waves

a moving ridge on the surface of water huge swells overwhelmed the tiny craft

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swells

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of swell

as in increases

to become greater in extent, volume, amount, or number the club membership has really swelled in recent months

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as in expands

to make greater in size, amount, or number more layoffs will swell the ranks of the unemployed to unprecedented levels

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as in protrudes

to extend outward beyond a usual point at that point the Congo River swells and forms Malebo Pool

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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 swells

Noun

Mentions of data centers have, predictably, shot up across all three networks in recent months as political backlash against AI swells and the data centers themselves have become a salient issue ahead of the midterms. — J.d. Capelouto, semafor.com, 12 Oct. 2026 Its San Diego office said Sunday morning would carry the highest flooding risks along the Orange and San Diego coasts as swells, onshore winds and high tides combine. — Jaweed Kaleem, Los Angeles Times, 10 Oct. 2026 Rachel’s swells are expected to generate life-threatening surf and rip-current conditions off Mexico’s coast, the NHC warned. — Fabiola Sanchez, Chicago Tribune, 1 Oct. 2026 The surf-worthy Pacific swells provide excellent conditions for paddling out and riding waves. — Staff Author, Travel + Leisure, 17 Sep. 2026

Verb

These wetlands, connected to the river, act as natural reservoirs that absorb and hold water, especially when the river swells with meltwater or heavy rain. — Literary Hub, 16 Oct. 2026 Each month, roughly a dozen are consistently in the audience, though the number swells depending on the agenda. — Rachel Royster, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 15 Oct. 2026 The ballad finds Fontaines’ Grian Chatten and Rosalía trading lines over a moody acoustic strum that repeatedly swells with strings and clattering drums. — Emily Zemler, Rolling Stone, 12 Oct. 2026 The greatest concern is high tide through Sunday morning and swells from the remnants of Tropical Storm Rachel could create dangerous conditions with beach erosion and seawater once again flooding beach roads and paths. — ABC News, 11 Oct. 2026 Friday, the high tide in San Diego and La Jolla was coming in 17 inches higher than the official prediction, which doesn’t account for hotter-than-normal ocean waters or swells from tropical storms, according to NOAA’s tide forecasts. — Hannah Fry, Los Angeles Times, 10 Oct. 2026 Music, which has been the constant all-consuming river of his life, swells him into an adventure that will change him forever. — Jordan Moreau, Variety, 7 Oct. 2026 But when an event swells to the size of a city — the New York City Marathon had nearly 60,000 finishers last year — climate risk is no longer solely a personal matter. — Vibhu Krishna, STAT, 2 Oct. 2026 There is an art to stylizing a position of interrogation in excess of its biomechanics, an art to how lockstep beats a cadence while a unit swells into an enveloping arc. — Sophie Landres, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for swells

Noun

Independent retail teaches you to forecast off real reorders instead of hopeful projections, and to line up production with what is actually moving.

— Joel Goldstein, Forbes.com, 13 Oct. 2026
Still, Solomon cautioned that there might be pressure on rates as the financing needs grow, which would affect returns and the viability of certain projections.

— Hugh Son,Laya Neelakandan,Leslie Picker,Ritika Shah, CNBC, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of projections

Verb

If Skydance increases spending on content, that could push its competitors to also invest more, Laurent Yoon, senior analyst at the research and brokerage firm Bernstein, told me.

— Samantha Masunaga, Los Angeles Times, 13 Oct. 2026
Though this increases the X-Y dimensions, Apple worked closely with the system team to ensure the phones' internals could support this slightly larger package.

— Eric Zeman, PC Magazine, 12 Oct. 2026

Definition of increases

Verb

Even without their local ties, Gash are a shoe-in at Eaux Claires, the Wisconsin music festival founded by Justin Vernon that expands on the experimental curiosity and unhurried approach at the heart of Bon Iver’s latter career.

— Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 13 Oct. 2026
The presentation comes as Netflix separately expands its AI ambitions, including its acquisition of Ben Affleck’s filmmaking technology company InterPositive.

— Davide Abbatescianni, Variety, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of expands

Verb

Ping Ping, the male, has dark black circles around his eyes, while Fu Shuang, the female, has a forehead that protrudes a bit, according to the Xinhua News Agency.

— ABC News, ABC News, 27 Sep. 2026
Other animals on-site include a stable full of horses and Cowboy the tortoise, who is about the size of a lawnmower and whose head protrudes from what looks like a Venus flytrap made of bone.

— Emma Madden, Los Angeles Times, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of protrudes

Noun

Bra bands that dig in and have minimal side coverage can create bulges under your tops and dresses, but this under-$20 Warners style does the opposite, according to shoppers.

— Jeaneen Russell, PEOPLE, 2 Sep. 2026
During matches earlier this year, bulges could be seen in the shoulder seams on jerseys for teams including France and Uruguay, the Guardian reported.

— Claire Rush, Fortune, 28 June 2026

Definition of bulges

Verb

The National Weather Service said rainfall was diminishing in the area but that rapid river rises and flooding remained possible.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 12 Oct. 2026
How to see the Taurid meteor showers Both showers appear to originate from Taurus, a constellation that rises during the evening and climbs higher into the sky as the night progresses.

— Jamie Carter, Space.com, 12 Oct. 2026

Definition of rises

Verb

Using this strategy, our team found that skeletal muscle memory accelerates muscle growth.

— Diego Hernandez-Saavedra, The Conversation, 7 Oct. 2026
Communities are being asked to do more with less as climate change accelerates, and the skills needed to care for these places are being lost.

— Francesca Aton, ARTnews.com, 2 Oct. 2026