sways 1 of 2

noun

plural of sway
1
as in effects
the power to bring about a result on another under the sway of euphoria, she offered to take us all out to dinner in celebration of her new job

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in influences
the power to direct the thinking or behavior of others usually indirectly outdated attitudes that still hold sway in some communities

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in controls
the right or means to command or control others a time when Rome held sway over a vast empire that stretched from Britain to the Near East

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

sways

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of sway
1
as in affects
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
2
as in lurches
to make a series of unsteady side-to-side motions the way the ski lift was swaying in the wind made me nervous

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3
as in governs
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 sways
Verb
The set moves in and out, another set rolls over, and another is on a gimbal that sways as the whale moves. — Lexy Perez, HollywoodReporter, 2 Oct. 2026 But forcing heavy steel trains onto a floating highway that rolls, sways, and shifts with the tides was widely considered an invitation to disaster. — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 31 Aug. 2026 One combat sequence at the end is genuinely excellent because the film puts actual creative effort into staging a knife-versus-ax duel on a gangplank that sways back and forth over the water. — Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 21 Aug. 2026 The main road home is closed, so players must detour through a wild valley full of hills, rivers and angry wildlife, while the janky physics turn every bump into potential disaster as the RV sways, tips and flips with ease. — Jason Bennett, Arkansas Online, 19 July 2026 As the water sways and the flowers blow, 120 wooden crosses now line the Guadalupe River in Kerr County. — Marissa Armas, CBS News, 30 June 2026 In its dynamic equilibrium, our system sways like a grand old tree in the wind. — Ann Manov, Harpers Magazine, 23 June 2026 Republican political consultants are skeptical that Paxton’s place on the ballot sways the needle for Democrats. — Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 9 June 2026 Now the castle is in ruins (though with explanatory signage), with hiking paths, a museum, and a 1,200-foot pedestrian suspension bridge that sways 300 feet above the valley floor. — Tribune News Service, Baltimore Sun, 8 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sways
  1. effects
  2. influences
  3. controls
  4. affects
  5. lurches
  6. governs
  7. impacts
  8. leverages
Noun
  • The result gives researchers a different way to examine anomalous Hall effects.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 3 Oct. 2026
  • Some meteorologists are predicting a more mild early winter season due to the effects of El Nino, which could have an impact on this year’s flu season, Wu said.
    — Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of effects
Noun
  • The images on Lotería cards have typically featured commonplace objects and characters and have drawn on artistic influences including tarot cards, local cultures, and religion.
    — Sanat Pai Raikar, Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Hegseth has also pushed the military school system to introduce more coursework that draws from conservative and Christian influences.
    — Tiffany Stanley, Los Angeles Times, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of influences
Noun
  • Some like Indiana and Delaware have already passed various versions of price controls.
    — Bob Herman, STAT, 5 Oct. 2026
  • Tel Aviv — The co-pilot accused of attacking his colleague on board the Flydubai flight to Israel and trying to seize the controls probably acted alone, Israeli sources told CNN.
    — Tal Shalev, CNN Money, 4 Oct. 2026
Definition of controls
Verb
  • Moreover, there’s no medical school module on how much any of these comorbidities affects the true cost of the hospitalization.
    — Leah Pierson, STAT, 6 Oct. 2026
  • For example, a manufacturer may need to understand how a component change affects products, suppliers and production.
    — Nada Usina, Forbes.com, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of affects
Verb
  • The alternative is a region that lurches from crisis to crisis, and from one extreme to another.
    — DAN RESTREPO, Foreign Affairs, 30 Sep. 2026
  • With a cigarette dangling from her lips, ashes and curse words ever ready to fall, Angela lurches around the house critical of everything and everyone.
    — Jay Weissberg, Variety, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of lurches
Verb
  • Along with changing the meeting requirement, Amendment EE would approve other changes to how the city of Los Angeles governs.
    — Sandra McDonald, Los Angeles Times, 1 Oct. 2026
  • Yellowstone National Park, which governs a portion of the Thorofare but not Atlantic Creek, where most people fish in June, requires backcountry campers to purchase and reserve campsites ahead of time.
    — Christine Peterson, Outdoor Life, 23 Sep. 2026
Definition of governs
Noun
  • What readers are saying The comments reflect a strong concern about climate change and its impacts, with many expressing alarm over the dismantling of scientific research and data accessibility.
    — Ben Noll, Washington Post, 1 Oct. 2026
  • Traditional due diligence can miss back-office technology impacts—liabilities reducing valuation (technical debt, vendor lock-in and cybersecurity exposure) or assets increasing it (scalable platforms and modernized pipelines).
    — Tipu Usha Vaithee Swaran, Forbes.com, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of impacts
Noun
  • And Soorty’s Rebellion Noir concept leverages overdyeing, creating dark, moody denim.
    — Sarah Jones, Footwear News, 3 Aug. 2026
  • According to Archer, Halo leverages technologies refined through nearly eight years of electric aircraft research and testing.
    — Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 23 July 2026
Definition of leverages

Browse Nearby Words

swaying
sways
swear
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Cite this Entry

“Sways.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sways. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

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