SWAYS Synonyms: 179 Similar and Opposite Words

sways 1 of 2

noun

plural of sway

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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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the power to direct the thinking or behavior of others usually indirectly outdated attitudes that still hold sway in some communities

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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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sways

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of sway

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

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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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 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 One big question now, Thomas says, is whether a tie-up with a paragon of fast-fashion alienates Everlane's current clientele — or sways Shein shoppers to trade up. — Alina Selyukh, NPR, 22 May 2026 Biff shouts at him at the show’s excruciating climax) sways between light and dark, between the road and the deadly shoulder, advancing through his last hours on earth as if through the stations of the cross. — Sara Holdren, Vulture, 10 Apr. 2026 Sunday's vote was seen as a key test of whether the EU member nation stays on its liberal course or sways toward the right. — ABC News, 23 Mar. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for sways

Noun

France last month became the first country in the European Union to pass a blanket ban on the platforms amid rising worldwide concerns about the harmful effects of digital content on kids.

— ABC News, ABC News, 14 Aug. 2026
Temperature changes and mechanical vibrations can interfere with the quantum effects needed to establish entanglement.

— Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 14 Aug. 2026

Definition of effects

Noun

The tradition has also integrated influences from Christianity as well as various European and Native American folk traditions, resulting in the formation of a uniquely American religious practice.

— Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 14 Aug. 2026
Her lyrics, like those of many of her biggest musical influences, are dense texts, full of winking allusions and subtle references to records, bands, and albums that have shaped her own songwriting.

— Jonathan Bernstein, Rolling Stone, 14 Aug. 2026

Definition of influences

Noun

Other governments, including the US, have their own rules and disclosure requirements, but beyond the breadth of the controls in China, the sheer number of people affected is striking – and reaches far beyond civil servants.

— Sylvie Zhuang, CNN Money, 16 Aug. 2026
Though a slight majority, along with most Democrats and independents, would be okay with government price controls.

— Anthony Salvanto, CBS News, 16 Aug. 2026

Definition of controls

Verb

Diagnoses of autism, a neurodevelopmental condition that affects how people communicate and behave, have increased roughly fivefold over the past couple of decades.

— Amanda Seitz, CBS News, 17 Aug. 2026
Homelessness in Charlotte Homelessness affects, at minimum, 2,018 people in Mecklenburg County, according to the county’s 2026 Point-In-Time Count, which identifies the number of people experiencing homelessness on a single night.

— Laura Horne, Charlotte Observer, 17 Aug. 2026

Definition of affects

Verb

The film unhurriedly lurches from one markedly similar fight scene to the next, with only Skeletor’s occasional injections of ripe innuendo to liven them up a bit.

— Guy Lodge, Variety, 2 June 2026
By the end, Noonan’s film stops feeling like a first date and starts to resemble the makings of a crime scene as his mood lurches toward something dangerous.

— Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 1 May 2026

Definition of lurches

Verb

Now, as someone who governs less radically than feared and is on the cusp of becoming Italy’s longest-serving postwar leader, Meloni often wears pastel-colored suits with wide-legged trousers that cover her high heels.

— ABC News, ABC News, 13 Aug. 2026
District 60 General Counsel Kathryn Vander Broek said at the meeting the state school code governs the procedure for dealing with educational support personnel when there are staff reductions.

— Steve Sadin, Chicago Tribune, 12 Aug. 2026

Definition of governs

Noun

While the exact timing and intensity of the impacts are still uncertain and will ultimately depend on how close Lala tracks to the Hawaiian islands, heavy rain, strong winds and rough surf impacts are likely this weekend.

— Megan Fahrney, ABC News, 14 Aug. 2026
Other than the hurricane impacts, El Niño usually doesn’t have a strong summer climate impact for most of the United States, NOAA said.

— Doyle Rice, USA Today, 13 Aug. 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

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swaying

sways

swear

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Style

“Sways.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sways. Accessed 19 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of sways

noun

verb

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