swum

verb

Definition of swumnext
past participle of swim
1
as in spun
to be in a confused state as if from being twirled around his head was swimming after he was given so much information on his first day at the new job

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in hovered
to rest or move along the surface of a liquid or in the air there appeared to be an oily film swimming on the water

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for swum
  1. spun
  2. hovered
  3. floated
  4. sailed
Verb
  • In the book, Lucy and Mina, the two main female characters caught up in the web of horror spun by the terrifying Transylvanian count Dracula, stand out as strong, intelligent and courageous.
    — Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 4 Oct. 2026
  • Wilson wrapped up and spun Mateer on a quarterback sack, the ball coming loose again, with Cole opportunistically on the spot to scoop up the fumble and return it 23 yards to the Oklahoma 11.
    — Mike Griffith, AJC.com, 27 Sep. 2026
Definition of spun
Verb
  • In fact, total non-pensioner benefits have hovered between 4% and 5% for more than 40 years.
    — The Week UK, TheWeek, 4 Oct. 2026
  • Jordan Addison has hovered just below the 1,000-yard mark for two of his previous three seasons.
    — Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 4 Oct. 2026
Definition of hovered
Verb
  • Ellison floated the idea of having the companies leave California if the suit wasn’t dropped, while states like Texas and Tennessee actively courted the mogul.
    — Alex Weprin, HollywoodReporter, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Beckwith, the deputy director and chief curator at the Guggenheim Museum and curator of Documenta16, floated through the room chatting with fellow honorees and guests.
    — Brianna J. Heath, Footwear News, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of floated
Verb
  • Aubrey's 65-yard attempt with about 30 seconds left in the second quarter sailed wide left.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 5 Oct. 2026
  • Before its commissioning, the destroyer sailed from Norfolk to Florida and then traveled to Alaska through the Panama Canal.
    — Sujita Sinha, Interesting Engineering, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of sailed
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.

Browse Nearby Words

swotting
swum
swung
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Swum.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/swum. Accessed 10 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

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

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of Luddite

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

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

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

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

The Words of the Week - Oct. 9

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
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
a cup of tea and a golf ball on tee side by side
Quiz: Sounds Like... Choose the word that sounds like it fits the clue...
See All