How to Use swell in a Sentence

swell

1 of 3 verb
Definition of swellnext
Synonyms for swellnext
  • Heavy rains swelled the river.
  • The population has swelled in recent years.
  • The economy is swelling at an annual rate of five percent.
  • Her broken ankle swelled badly.
  • Immigrants have swelled the population.
  • Turn the wheel, and a flourish swells through the chorus.
    — Laura Burstein, Robb Report, 11 Jan. 2024
  • The spacious toe box gives room for your feet to move and avoid swelling at the end of a long hike.
    — Danny Perez, Popular Mechanics, 15 May 2023
  • By the end of nine, 10 months, all swelling disappeared.
    — Bill Beuttler, BostonGlobe.com, 10 Aug. 2023
  • As the day progressed, the protests, now in their twenty-ninth week, swelled yet again.
    — David Remnick, The New Yorker, 24 July 2023
  • Others wore mouth guards that swelled their lips as though they’d just been punched in the face.
    — Lauren Collins, The New Yorker, 20 Mar. 2023
  • The total price tag has swelled to more than $35 billion.
    — Drew Kann, ajc, 30 Aug. 2023
  • The number of Palestinians held by Israel has swelled in the weeks since the start of the conflict.
    — Susannah George, Washington Post, 22 Nov. 2023
  • When wrapped around a suspect’s arm and chest, the tubes would swell and contract with the motion of their heart.
    — Amit Katwala, WIRED, 2 Mar. 2023
  • As a result, blood collects and forms a pool around the valves, causing swelling.
    — Bryant Stamford, The Courier-Journal, 11 May 2023
  • The warm days have encouraged flower and leaf buds to swell.
    — Chris McKeown, The Enquirer, 18 Mar. 2023
  • Once the swelling subsided, bite marks from where the spider bit Blake could be seen on his foot.
    — Jordan Greene, Peoplemag, 28 Nov. 2023
  • The veiled forms come forward and recede, as if pangs of pain, swelling to the surface only to fall back again.
    — Angelica Aboulhosn, Smithsonian Magazine, 14 Aug. 2023
  • An inning after getting hit by a 95.7 mph pitch on the left hand, Josh Jung left the game as the area swelled and got sore.
    — Evan Grant, Dallas News, 26 Apr. 2023
  • The color will darken because your lips will scab as the swelling subsides.
    — Jacqueline Saguin, Good Housekeeping, 11 Apr. 2023
  • Even men and schoolchildren are swelling the ranks, among them my friend’s three grandsons, ages 6, 7 and 9.
    — Jane E. Brody, Charlotte Observer, 31 Jan. 2024
  • The fresh scent feels like a sweet caress of powdery musks that swells with emotive blooms like jasmine and freesia.
    — ELLE, 1 Aug. 2023
  • In the past, the snowmelt and rains sometimes swelled the region’s rivers, prompting Turkey and Iran to share more water with Iraq.
    — Alissa J. Rubin Bryan Denton, New York Times, 29 July 2023
  • When the forsythia buds start to swell in spring is a great indicator of when to plant your pea seeds.
    — Marianne Willburn, Better Homes & Gardens, 27 Mar. 2023
  • As Golden State’s lead swelled in the fourth quarter, the crowd’s angst turned to resignation.
    — Scott Cacciola, New York Times, 30 Apr. 2023
  • But on the whole, the continent cannot keep pace with its swelling population.
    — Declan Walsh, New York Times, 27 Oct. 2023
  • Or worse, in the most severe cases, there can be swelling of the throat blocking the airway completely.
    — Bryant Stamford, The Courier-Journal, 20 July 2023
  • But the new class of drugs comes with risks, including the possibility of bleeding and swelling in the brain.
    — Robert Weisman, BostonGlobe.com, 6 July 2023
  • Someone who's been stung can apply ice to reduce swelling.
    — Aliza Chasan, CBS News, 20 Sep. 2023
  • That setback came via doctor stoppage at the end of the third round of that scrap after a Moreno blow caused Figueiredo’s right eye to swell shut.
    — Trent Reinsmith, Forbes, 29 Mar. 2024
  • Parra was attending high school in Roseville, Calif., when a lump swelled up on his left knee in 2016.
    — Daniel Wu, Washington Post, 25 July 2023
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swell

2 of 3 noun
  • The storm has brought high winds and heavy swells along the coast.
  • The swell spanned the width of the street and stretched about 25 feet.
    — Adrienne Roberts, Detroit Free Press, 16 June 2023
  • Waiting for the next swell like... Queen of the (sand) castle.
    — Travel + Leisure Editors, Travel + Leisure, 28 Mar. 2023
  • Winds were 30 miles per hour on Saturday and the seas were 6 to 8 feet in the swell.
    — Luke Barr, ABC News, 20 Nov. 2022
  • The predominant swell hits the north shores in the winter and the south shores in the summer.
    — CBS News, 18 July 2022
  • One side, with the swell of a breast and a long skirt, appears female.
    — Washington Post, 9 Nov. 2023
  • The incoming swell could be strong enough to cause new damage to the pier.
    — Jeff McDonald, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 Jan. 2024
  • The stats are startling to Chen, who is bracing for a swell of need there.
    — Parija Kavilanz, CNN, 25 Oct. 2023
  • Much of the time, what each uncovers is the shadowy crooks and swells of the other.
    — Audrey Wollen, The New Yorker, 3 Nov. 2023
  • Most were lucky to find a swell of support in the comments section.
    — Jane Thier, Fortune, 18 June 2022
  • In the swell of #MeToo, dancers began to reckon with the behavior of some of their idols.
    — Alice Robb, The New Republic, 16 Oct. 2023
  • Take a surf lesson: As access to sand and swells grew, so did the surf culture.
    — Lindsay Cohn, Travel + Leisure, 3 Nov. 2023
  • The sharks hunt in the swells along some 40 miles of beachfront managed by the Cape Cod National Seashore.
    — Jim Behnke, Scientific American, 2 July 2023
  • The cries of the women outside a Tehran courthouse swell to a collective wail.
    — Jomana Karadsheh, CNN, 23 Jan. 2023
  • In the swell of steam, the full force of him had been delegated to the blurry shapes of other people.
    — Jessi Jezewska Stevens, Harper’s Magazine , 28 Sep. 2022
  • The swell arrived just ahead of two weak, back-to-back storms that will dart through San Diego County this weekend.
    — Gary Robbins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 Dec. 2023
  • Dubai has been at the forefront of this regional swell in tourism with a record-breaking 2023.
    — Jennifer Kester, Forbes, 14 Feb. 2024
  • The East Coast is bracing for the same kind of large swells and rip currents that the Caribbean is facing now.
    — Taylor Ward, CNN, 10 Sep. 2023
  • On the first day of the Big Rock, the swells were eight to 10 feet high, and four of the nine people aboard Sensation spent most of the morning vomiting.
    — Brandon Sneed, New York Times, 10 July 2023
  • Enjoy a dip in the water, a surf in the swell, or opt for a bike ride or run along the bike path located just beyond the sand.
    — Brittany Bowker, BostonGlobe.com, 23 June 2022
  • The traditional cocobolo wood handle gives the knife a great look and the hand swell promotes a good in-the-hand feel.
    — Jace Bauserman, Field & Stream, 19 July 2023
  • That nose is pert and low, leading back to angular fender flares and a pronounced swell at the rear.
    — Tim Stevens, Ars Technica, 25 Oct. 2023
  • The swell, which will arrive from the west-northwest, will peak Sunday evening and will turn choppy as coastal winds pick up.
    — San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Feb. 2023
  • The swells were generated by a low-pressure system to the north, west of Oregon, a few days ago.
    — Ian James, Los Angeles Times, 30 Dec. 2023
  • They can be taken on the troll, by casting live baits to sails spotted cruising in the swells, and even with topwater lures.
    — Joe Cermele, Field & Stream, 9 Nov. 2023
  • And while that final scene may have been hard on the hearts of viewers, the emotional swell wasn’t a challenge for Odenkirk to deliver.
    — Barbara Vandenburgh, USA TODAY, 16 Aug. 2022
  • And then, that’s when, as the surfer’s lingo goes, the swell, the bomb, the bombora, the boomer, the kahuna, the comber, rose up overhead and crashed on top of them, leaving them gasping for air in all the wash.
    — Gordon Monson, The Salt Lake Tribune, 18 Sep. 2022
  • And that’s not to say anything about the swell of private companies focused on crypto crime as well.
    — Declan Harty, Fortune, 12 May 2022
  • As the soundtrack quiets to a whisper of percussion to prepare a swell, the Frank look appears at the foot of the runway, worn by a new model.
    — Nathan Heller, Vogue, 29 Aug. 2023
  • Plus, there’s no shortage of adventure to be had, whether your goal is to swim with whale sharks in the Sea of Cortéz, go off-roading through canyons or surf the famous swell.
    — Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 27 Jan. 2023
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swell

3 of 3 adjective
  • That was a swell party.
  • This is the home of the swell shark and chain catshark.
    — Joanna Klein, New York Times, 8 Aug. 2019
  • As the desert fog rolls in and out, the grit stones swell and shrink.
    — Zack Savitsky, Quanta Magazine, 12 July 2023
  • Will a new kitchen counter or a swell pair of shoes provide that?
    — Bill Goodykoontz, azcentral, 5 June 2020
  • Both it and the swell shark are the only sharks known to give off a green glow when exposed to light.
    — Elizabeth Pennisi, Science | AAAS, 8 Aug. 2019
  • The great indoors seemed like a swell vantage point for this tilt.
    — Phil Rosenthal, chicagotribune.com, 6 Apr. 2018
  • All was just swell, till everything fell, at the start of last fall.
    — Washington Post, 22 Mar. 2021
  • The site of contact will likely redden and swell like a bee sting.
    — Meghan Overdeep, Southern Living, 19 Sep. 2023
  • Even so, the ship displaces so much water that a swell rolls along the channel’s side.
    — Joe Pappalardo, Popular Mechanics, 19 Mar. 2019
  • Sweet, swift, swank, swell, fast as hell, hushed as a chapel, cool as marble, minty fresh.
    — Dan Neil, WSJ, 20 Jan. 2022
  • Eyes turn red and swell and can produce a sticky discharge.
    — Ken Alltucker, USA TODAY, 27 Apr. 2023
  • Not only is the swell consistent, but the waves are diverse.
    — The Editors, Outside Online, 18 June 2021
  • Keep reading for the best father daughter quotes that will make both your hearts swell.
    — Elizabeth Berry, Woman's Day, 2 May 2023
  • In this remote body of water, huge swell waves build and then ripple across the planet.
    — Brigit Katz, Smithsonian, 14 May 2018
  • Her life was always fine, swell, just couldn’t be better, thanks.
    — Jennifer Senior, The Atlantic, 9 Feb. 2022
  • The blood vessels swell and become sort of leaky, leading to fluid buildup in the tissue.
    — Marla Broadfoot, Scientific American, 1 Dec. 2023
  • The back of the eye can become flattened, and the nerves that carry visual information from the eye to the brain swell and bend.
    — Rachael Seidler, Discover Magazine, 22 Sep. 2023
  • The swell direction on Tuesday was about 289 degrees out of the northwest.
    — Los Angeles Times, 11 Dec. 2020
  • For now, the newborn swell shark, its mother and the other eggs are off-exhibit.
    — Will Sullivan, Smithsonian Magazine, 7 Aug. 2023
  • This is just the latest, and arguably largest, swell in public pressure.
    — Tom Schad, USA TODAY, 7 July 2020
  • The think-pink color scheme, for sure, although Teddy Bear Park, the kids’ play area, is pretty swell.
    — Rick Nelson, Star Tribune, 29 July 2020
  • And many have seen their portfolios swell in recent years as the stock market has boomed.
    — Tami Luhby and Katie Lobosco, CNN, 28 Mar. 2022
  • Baines was a good player and a swell guy, but not considered Hall-worthy outside of the 312 area code.
    — BostonGlobe.com, 11 Nov. 2019
  • The movement has been a boon to smaller agencies like A3 and Verve and to talent managers, who have seen their client ranks swell.
    — Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 17 Sep. 2021
  • Anyone who saw him play regularly knows that sometimes the eye test is a swell way to judge a guy.
    — John Shea, SFChronicle.com, 31 Dec. 2019
  • Since your feet usually swell throughout the day, your feet will likely be at their largest at night.
    — Emma Seymour, Good Housekeeping, 17 Feb. 2023
  • Naturally, that looks swell when oil prices are over the triple-digit mark.
    — Brett Owens, Forbes, 14 Aug. 2022
  • Nothing's lost in the luxury department, though, as the G80's cabin remains a swell place to hum the day away.
    — Jonathon Ramsey, Car and Driver, 21 June 2022
  • But the mist remained thick, the swell considerable, and the Australian warmth had given way to Antarctic chill.
    — Simon Willis, Travel + Leisure, 14 Dec. 2021
  • Which sounds like a pretty swell deal for a car that would beat every other car around Road Atlanta.
    — Ezra Dyer, Popular Mechanics, 5 Apr. 2019

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

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