1
a
: to propel oneself in water by natural means (such as movements of the limbs, fins, or tail)
b
: to play in the water (as at a beach or swimming pool)
2
: to move with a motion like that of swimming : glide
a cloud swam slowly across the moon
3
a
: to float on a liquid : not sink
b
: to surmount difficulties : not go under
sink or swim, live or die, survive or perish—
Daniel Webster
Daniel Webster4
: to become immersed in or flooded with or as if with a liquid
potatoes swimming in gravy
5
: to have a floating or reeling appearance or sensation
1
a
: to cross by propelling oneself through water
swim a stream
b
: to execute in swimming
2
: to cause to swim or float
1
: a smooth gliding motion
2
: an act or period of swimming
3
: a temporary dizziness or unconsciousness
4
a
: an area frequented by fish
b
: the main current of activity
in the swim
Synonyms
Examples of swim in a Sentence
Verb
He's teaching the children to swim.
She swam across the pool.
He swam the English Channel.
The racers must swim the backstroke.
We watched the fish swimming in the river.
Ducks swam in the pond.
I felt weak and my head was swimming.
The room swam before my eyes.
Noun
the merest glimpse of blood sends him into a swim
Recent Examples on the WebMark Holgate, Vogue, 23 Apr. 2024
Goulette attempted to swim to shore, but the family member eventually lost sight of him, deputies said.
—Kate Linderman, Kansas City Star, 22 Apr. 2024
The pair had been using a dinghy when its engine suddenly stopped working properly, and the teenagers decided to brave the waters and swim to shore.
—Andrea Vacchiano, Fox News, 20 Apr. 2024
They can get tangled in it, which hinders their ability to swim.
—Kurt Snibbe, Orange County Register, 18 Apr. 2024
The two teens were swimming with friends at the time, KTVU reported.
—Don Sweeney, Sacramento Bee, 14 Apr. 2024
The decision to open the Seine to the Olympic Games (and later to regular bathers) was considered to be monumental, allowing swimming in the famous river for the first time in more than 100 years.
—Alison Fox, Travel + Leisure, 12 Apr. 2024
The commission and Florida’s Bonefish and Tarpon Trust have recorded more than 200 incidents with more than 30 species swimming in this unusual way.
—Jen Christensen, CNN, 12 Apr. 2024
The Seine, which winds through Paris, is not historically seen as an appealing place to swim.
—Frances Vinall, Washington Post, 9 Apr. 2024
Jennifer Wilson, Travel + Leisure, 25 Apr. 2024
Cast a swim jig out and reel it in close to the surface through or over this cover while quickly twitching your rod tip.
—Shaye Baker, Field & Stream, 24 Apr. 2024
The fashion house has two other products in the top 10 as well: a pair of swim briefs at No. 3 and a polo shirt at No. 7.
—Tori Latham, Robb Report, 24 Apr. 2024
Pohl shows a feistier side to her style in various red swim looks, from a barely-there bikini layered with a mesh cover-up to a mega cutout one-piece accentuating her curves to a lifeguard zip-up suit that channels all the Baywatch vibes.
—Michelle Lee, Peoplemag, 24 Apr. 2024
The Seine is beautiful, but the open water swim will probably be canceled due to E. coli.
—Adrienne So, WIRED, 17 Apr. 2024
What a waste of taxpayer dollars — the city has just subsidized swim lesson costs for a great deal of families who can pay for swim lessons.
—Frederick Melo, Twin Cities, 1 Apr. 2024
The study, published by Swim Outlet, the country's largest swim retailer, identified the worst and best water parks in the nation.
—Laura Daniella Sepulveda, The Arizona Republic, 11 Apr. 2024
Get your hands on these Bulldog swim shorts from Orlebar Brown that feature a 1957 Slim Aarons photo of cars parked outside the Beverly Hills Hotel on Sunset Boulevard.
—Marques Harper, Los Angeles Times, 11 Apr. 2024
Maverick Li, menshealth.com, 5 May 2023
Let this kimono top take you from beachside to a post-swim dinner in a breeze.
—Kelsey Stiegman, Seventeen, 28 Mar. 2023
This one at a home designed by April Powers is the perfect post-swim hang.
—Kelly Allen, House Beautiful, 23 Feb. 2023
This, along with a bite of a homemade peanut butter protein bar, makes for an ideal pre-swim breakfast.
—Bon Appétit Contributor, Bon Appétit, 23 Sep. 2022
And the majority of drownings – 69% – actually occur during non-swim times.
—Dr. Michael Daignault, USA TODAY, 14 July 2022
For a post-swim bite to eat, stop by the nearby tiki-themed Pool Burger.
—Anna Mazurek, Chron, 30 June 2022
Costume designer Dinah Collin won an Emmy for her work on the BBC series, which has since inspired a generation of Regency adaptations—not to mention the string of winks to the transformative post-swim moment.
—Emma Fraser, Town & Country, 10 Apr. 2022
But behind-the-scenes, Grandma’s cop-worthy post-swim lewk resulted from a practical request from the 85-year-old lead Tsai Chin, who is an accomplished — and very glamorous IRL — stage and screen legend on both sides of the pond and mainland China.
—Fawnia Soo Hoo, refinery29.com, 2 Dec. 2020
Verb
Miu Miu reinvents the beach dressing of yesteryear: A graphic toweling coat, a sequin swim cap.
—Mark Holgate, Vogue, 23 Apr. 2024
Goulette attempted to swim to shore, but the family member eventually lost sight of him, deputies said.
—Kate Linderman, Kansas City Star, 22 Apr. 2024
The pair had been using a dinghy when its engine suddenly stopped working properly, and the teenagers decided to brave the waters and swim to shore.
—Andrea Vacchiano, Fox News, 20 Apr. 2024
They can get tangled in it, which hinders their ability to swim.
—Kurt Snibbe, Orange County Register, 18 Apr. 2024
The two teens were swimming with friends at the time, KTVU reported.
—Don Sweeney, Sacramento Bee, 14 Apr. 2024
The decision to open the Seine to the Olympic Games (and later to regular bathers) was considered to be monumental, allowing swimming in the famous river for the first time in more than 100 years.
—Alison Fox, Travel + Leisure, 12 Apr. 2024
The commission and Florida’s Bonefish and Tarpon Trust have recorded more than 200 incidents with more than 30 species swimming in this unusual way.
—Jen Christensen, CNN, 12 Apr. 2024
The Seine, which winds through Paris, is not historically seen as an appealing place to swim.
—Frances Vinall, Washington Post, 9 Apr. 2024
Noun
Yoga on the Vine Start the day fresh with a morning yoga session on State Beach in Oak Bluffs, then cool down with a swim.
—Jennifer Wilson, Travel + Leisure, 25 Apr. 2024
Cast a swim jig out and reel it in close to the surface through or over this cover while quickly twitching your rod tip.
—Shaye Baker, Field & Stream, 24 Apr. 2024
The fashion house has two other products in the top 10 as well: a pair of swim briefs at No. 3 and a polo shirt at No. 7.
—Tori Latham, Robb Report, 24 Apr. 2024
Pohl shows a feistier side to her style in various red swim looks, from a barely-there bikini layered with a mesh cover-up to a mega cutout one-piece accentuating her curves to a lifeguard zip-up suit that channels all the Baywatch vibes.
—Michelle Lee, Peoplemag, 24 Apr. 2024
The Seine is beautiful, but the open water swim will probably be canceled due to E. coli.
—Adrienne So, WIRED, 17 Apr. 2024
What a waste of taxpayer dollars — the city has just subsidized swim lesson costs for a great deal of families who can pay for swim lessons.
—Frederick Melo, Twin Cities, 1 Apr. 2024
The study, published by Swim Outlet, the country's largest swim retailer, identified the worst and best water parks in the nation.
—Laura Daniella Sepulveda, The Arizona Republic, 11 Apr. 2024
Get your hands on these Bulldog swim shorts from Orlebar Brown that feature a 1957 Slim Aarons photo of cars parked outside the Beverly Hills Hotel on Sunset Boulevard.
—Marques Harper, Los Angeles Times, 11 Apr. 2024
Adjective
From fit, lining, waistband, fabric, and occasion, board shorts actually differ from swim trunks in many ways.
—Maverick Li, menshealth.com, 5 May 2023
Let this kimono top take you from beachside to a post-swim dinner in a breeze.
—Kelsey Stiegman, Seventeen, 28 Mar. 2023
This one at a home designed by April Powers is the perfect post-swim hang.
—Kelly Allen, House Beautiful, 23 Feb. 2023
This, along with a bite of a homemade peanut butter protein bar, makes for an ideal pre-swim breakfast.
—Bon Appétit Contributor, Bon Appétit, 23 Sep. 2022
And the majority of drownings – 69% – actually occur during non-swim times.
—Dr. Michael Daignault, USA TODAY, 14 July 2022
For a post-swim bite to eat, stop by the nearby tiki-themed Pool Burger.
—Anna Mazurek, Chron, 30 June 2022
Costume designer Dinah Collin won an Emmy for her work on the BBC series, which has since inspired a generation of Regency adaptations—not to mention the string of winks to the transformative post-swim moment.
—Emma Fraser, Town & Country, 10 Apr. 2022
But behind-the-scenes, Grandma’s cop-worthy post-swim lewk resulted from a practical request from the 85-year-old lead Tsai Chin, who is an accomplished — and very glamorous IRL — stage and screen legend on both sides of the pond and mainland China.
—Fawnia Soo Hoo, refinery29.com, 2 Dec. 2020
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'swim.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Articles Related to swim
Dictionary Entries Near swim
Cite this Entry
“Swim.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/swim. Accessed 29 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
swim
2 of 2 noun1
: an act or period of swimming
2
: the main current of activity
in the swim of things
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