switching

verb

present participle of switch
1
as in swapping
to give up (something) and take something else in return switched the real grapes for fake ones switched the day of his flight from Thursday to Friday

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2
as in flicking
to move from side to side or up and down with quick jerky motions cows lazily switching their tails and chewing their cud

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3
as in hiding
to strike repeatedly with something long and thin or flexible switched the stagecoach horses to control the direction they took

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4
as in reversing
to change (as an opinion) to the contrary a politician who has switched his position on a number of issues

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in licking
to strike repeatedly the loose rigging switched the mast during the storm

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 switching Chelsea’s new outlook Since BlueCo bought Chelsea in 2022, the club have spent four years switching identities and approaches. — George Edwards, New York Times, 18 Aug. 2026 The platform can travel in wheeled mode before switching to legged movement when surfaces become rough or obstructed. — Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 17 Aug. 2026 Disney is still calling dibs on an untitled movie, switching it on the calendar from February 18, 2028 to February 11, 2028. — Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 17 Aug. 2026 During the second game of the tie this weekend, the pair even went as far as switching sides to put Waters on the left, and still the play went primarily through Khlif, who continues to look tentative and error prone. — Todd Boss, Forbes.com, 17 Aug. 2026 Nearby Grand Chute canceled its Flock deal in early June, switching to a competing product from Axon. — Nate Anderson, ArsTechnica, 17 Aug. 2026 What Russians’ cookie buying says about the economy Earlier in the year, the country’s largest retailer said citizens were increasingly switching to low-cost and store-brand food products. — Sam Meredith, CNBC, 15 Aug. 2026 Google is also trying to make switching from an iPhone less painful. — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 15 Aug. 2026 Thomas then raised her right arm before switching to her left hand, according to the footage. — Shira Moolten, Sun Sentinel, 7 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for switching
  1. swapping
  2. flicking
  3. hiding
  4. reversing
  5. licking
  6. exchanging
  7. flapping
  8. whipping
Verb
  • Walsh added that Navy planners had discussed the possibility of swapping the two carriers, even before the latest concerns emerged.
    — Brittney Melton, NPR, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Like any good far future dystopia, SpaceCorp positions massive corporations as the true governing entities of the future, swapping in private investors for diplomats and corporate boards for politicians.
    — Alan Bradley, Space.com, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of swapping
Verb
  • Within a few minutes, Hutchinson has his mobile out, happily flicking through the screensavers.
    — Paul Taylor, New York Times, 4 Aug. 2026
  • His violent men — Scott’s sinister dad and Melton’s sad one — light cigarettes by flicking matches on their ears and teeth.
    — Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 23 July 2026
Definition of flicking
Verb
  • Filmmaker Rubaiyat Hossain crafts a taut supernatural drama that dissects the patriarchy hiding beneath the veneer of a fairytale wedding.
    — Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 17 Aug. 2026
  • Then there are all the people hiding in the hills, and those who have taken refuge in the homes of Moroccan relatives in Ceuta.
    — Miguel Macias, NPR, 16 Aug. 2026
Definition of hiding
Verb
  • The driver passed the group but struck a man with his SUV before reversing toward the rest of the group.
    — Matthew Rodriguez, CBS News, 18 Aug. 2026
  • Denver drivers will once again be able to challenge parking tickets online next month — reversing the city’s widely unpopular approach that required drivers to visit court in person to dispute tickets.
    — Shelly Bradbury, Denver Post, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of reversing
Verb
  • Dubiously sourced accounts followed of Australians who died after drinking toad tea and a man supposedly being imprisoned in South America on toad-licking charges.
    — Kimon de Greef, Longreads, 4 Aug. 2026
  • There’s truly nothing like licking that paper lid, then shoveling that tiny tongue depressor into a child-sized serving of vanilla or chocolate ice cream.
    — Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 2 Aug. 2026
Definition of licking
Verb
  • Swift and Kelce married in New York City on July 3, exchanging vows at Madison Square Garden in front of approximately 1,000 guests.
    — Hannah Malach, InStyle, 13 Aug. 2026
  • Dobrindt also pointed to the possibility of exchanging explosives for harmless substances.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of exchanging
Verb
  • The cast are clustered around a table of props and despite her disappointment at the lack of hag wigs, Dale Dickey is flapping a fishing net like a seafaring matador.
    — Antonia Blyth, Deadline, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Despite Sarah’s flapping her cardigan in the air like a hungover color-guard girl at a homecoming parade, the hapless Irish naval men sent to save her remained beyond the bobbing waves.
    — Claire Carusillo, Harpers Magazine, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of flapping
Verb
  • He’s spent the last week whipping senators to support it and even enlisted former Alabama football coach Nick Saban to dial up undecided lawmakers, according to people familiar with the matter.
    — Burgess Everett, semafor.com, 11 Aug. 2026
  • Battered cars with numbers sprayed on their sides are whipping around the dirt track of the Lebanon Valley Speedway, loose fenders flopping like overgrown bangs in the swirling dust.
    — Alison Willmore, Vulture, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of whipping

Browse Nearby Words

switches
switching
switch knife
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Cite this Entry

“Switching.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/switching. Accessed 18 Aug. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of switching for Spanish Speakers

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