swap

1 of 2

verb

swapped; swapping

transitive verb

1
a
: to give in trade : barter
2
: to take turns in telling
swap stories

intransitive verb

: to make an exchange
swapper noun

swap

2 of 2

noun

: an act, instance, or process of exchanging one thing for another

Examples of swap in a Sentence

Verb He swapped his cupcake for a candy bar. I swapped seats with my sister so she could see the stage better. I liked her blue notebook and she liked my red one, so we swapped. Noun They made the swap in secret. we made a swap: I'll do the dishes tonight and she'll do them for me tomorrow
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
In an effort to raise global citizens, my husband and I swapped family trips to Toronto for opportunities to see places farther away. Heather Greenwood Davis, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Mar. 2024 Football and basketball stars who, a decade ago, might have chosen a school with plans to attend for three or four years now swap teams one season at a time. Terence McGinley, New York Times, 21 Mar. 2024 As the video continues, the family can be seen taking photos at a maternity shoot, posing with each other and swapping in Chmerkovskiy's parents and Murgatroyd's mom. Hannah Sacks, Peoplemag, 21 Mar. 2024 And as the story hurtles toward 1970 (there’s a highly amusing space-race subplot), the powdery, gauzy town of Palm Beach becomes louder, zanier, and more outlandish—with preppy Lilly Pulitzer swapped out for psychedelic Pucci. Lilah Ramzi, Vogue, 20 Mar. 2024 By reducing the grass footprint on this project, permeable hardscaping was swapped in the form of gravel and interlocking pavers to create a space for entertaining that would also provide crucial rainwater absorption. Sunset In Partnership With Yardzen, Sunset Plant Collection, Terra, and Timbertech, Sunset Magazine, 18 Mar. 2024 Multifamily units continue to swap owners Several small apartment complexes recently swapped owners, including a Santa Ana building that’s nearing its 90th birthday. Samantha Gowen, Orange County Register, 15 Mar. 2024 Our testers were excited to swap their usual bulky cartons for this savory space-saver, a just-add-water concentrate. Grace McCarty, SELF, 13 Mar. 2024 Alas, most of the blockbuster film’s nominees swapped the rose hue for black. Danielle Directo-Meston, The Hollywood Reporter, 10 Mar. 2024
Noun
His wish comes true and the body swap will present challenges and life lessons to both women, one a high-flying marketing executive and the other a domestic worker with low self-esteem. Anna Marie De La Fuente, Variety, 20 Mar. 2024 In his Sunday evening address, Putin made an unprecedented break with his tradition of not uttering Navalny’s name, discussing his death and confirming discussions over a potential prisoner swap involving the opposition figure. Christian Edwards, CNN, 18 Mar. 2024 In a post-election news conference, Putin surprisingly acknowledged being presented an offer of a prisoner swap that would've freed Navalny. Taylor Wilson, USA TODAY, 18 Mar. 2024 Current pricing for swap contracts estimating the outcome of future Fed rate decisions now anticipates slightly more than three quarter-point rate cuts this year, roughly in line with the central bank’s own median expectations. Carter Johnson, Fortune, 1 Mar. 2024 Russia blamed Ukraine for the January downing of an IL-76 over Belgorod, saying all 74 people on board were killed, including dozens of Ukrainian servicemen being transported for a prisoner swap. Christian Edwards, CNN, 12 Mar. 2024 Reed was freed in a prisoner swap just a month later, prompting some of the families of other hostages to wonder whether they were being treated differently by the U.S. government. Camilla Schick, CBS News, 8 Mar. 2024 The offer included two first-round picks and more, and the Panthers passed on the swap with the idea that Burns was a cornerstone player. Mike Kaye, Charlotte Observer, 5 Mar. 2024 In December 2022, Russia released US basketball star Brittney Griner in a prisoner swap that involved Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout. Cnn.com Wire Service, The Mercury News, 22 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'swap.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English swappen to strike; from the practice of striking hands in closing a business deal

First Known Use

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Noun

1625, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of swap was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near swap

Cite this Entry

“Swap.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/swap. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

swap

verb
ˈswäp
swapped; swapping
: to give in exchange : make an exchange : trade
swap noun

Legal Definition

swap

noun
ˈswäp
1
: an exchange of securities
2
: a derivative contract in which two parties (as corporations) agree to exchange rates especially relating to debt

More from Merriam-Webster on swap

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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