as in influenced
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1
as in affected
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
2
as in lurched
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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3
as in ruled
archaic
to exercise authority or power over
an epic novel set in the days when Rome swayed the Western world
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Recent Examples of swayed
Theoden Janes, Charlotte Observer, 6 Apr. 2026
When betting on a startup’s future potential, Graham is typically more swayed by his impression of its founders than the idea behind their business, the co-founder of startup accelerator Y Combinator wrote in a series of posts on social media platform X on August 10.
—Tom Huddleston Jr., CNBC, 18 Aug. 2025
Business executives, at least some, are less swayed by the hype and more level-headed about the costs and benefits of using AI.
—Shivaram Rajgopal, Forbes.com, 17 Aug. 2025
ABC News, 30 Mar. 2026
Big Wild was up next on the Be stage, bringing melodic dance and peaceful vibes to the crowd gathered, who swayed to the music or lay out on the grass.
—Patrick Connolly, The Orlando Sentinel, 25 Mar. 2026
No insurer—and no Iranian—will be swayed by more threats.
—Jim Edwards, Fortune, 23 Mar. 2026
Marcel In the heat of the afternoon, the Fort Worth blues singer Marcel — as in Brandon Marcel, a close collaborator and backing singer for Leon Bridges — crooned his way through a half-hour set while Bridges swayed and applauded from the side of the stage.
—Josh Crutchmer, Rolling Stone, 20 Mar. 2026
In such cases, a regulator swayed by ideological impulses can do lasting damage.
—Bloomberg Opinion, Twin Cities, 20 Mar. 2026
For more than a century, skirt fashion has swayed between short and long styles.
—Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 18 Mar. 2026
Some were swayed by the benefits the developer offered, and others have been spooked by the possibility of an affordable housing project in their backyard.
—Catherine Odom, Miami Herald, 14 Mar. 2026
That argument has not swayed Banas.
—Theo Peck-Suzuki, Hartford Courant, 9 Mar. 2026
Adjective
As fans stood for the opening run, a sprawling 23-piece backing ensemble — including six band members, eight backing vocalists plus returning Church muse Joanna Cotten, and a mini-orchestra with four horns and four strings — some swayed.
—Theoden Janes, Charlotte Observer, 6 Apr. 2026
When betting on a startup’s future potential, Graham is typically more swayed by his impression of its founders than the idea behind their business, the co-founder of startup accelerator Y Combinator wrote in a series of posts on social media platform X on August 10.
—Tom Huddleston Jr., CNBC, 18 Aug. 2025
Business executives, at least some, are less swayed by the hype and more level-headed about the costs and benefits of using AI.
—Shivaram Rajgopal, Forbes.com, 17 Aug. 2025
Verb
People swayed to Cléopâtre's music on Sunday, with some singing along and blowing her kisses, while performers in colorful clothes danced on stage.
—ABC News, 30 Mar. 2026
Big Wild was up next on the Be stage, bringing melodic dance and peaceful vibes to the crowd gathered, who swayed to the music or lay out on the grass.
—Patrick Connolly, The Orlando Sentinel, 25 Mar. 2026
No insurer—and no Iranian—will be swayed by more threats.
—Jim Edwards, Fortune, 23 Mar. 2026
Marcel In the heat of the afternoon, the Fort Worth blues singer Marcel — as in Brandon Marcel, a close collaborator and backing singer for Leon Bridges — crooned his way through a half-hour set while Bridges swayed and applauded from the side of the stage.
—Josh Crutchmer, Rolling Stone, 20 Mar. 2026
In such cases, a regulator swayed by ideological impulses can do lasting damage.
—Bloomberg Opinion, Twin Cities, 20 Mar. 2026
For more than a century, skirt fashion has swayed between short and long styles.
—Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 18 Mar. 2026
Some were swayed by the benefits the developer offered, and others have been spooked by the possibility of an affordable housing project in their backyard.
—Catherine Odom, Miami Herald, 14 Mar. 2026
That argument has not swayed Banas.
—Theo Peck-Suzuki, Hartford Courant, 9 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for swayed
Verb
-
During the last five years, coaches who’ve remained in their college-level women's basketball jobs have seen their salaries rise by 45%—likely influenced by Staley's decision to fight for higher pay via nontraditional negotiating methods.—
Emma Hinchliffe,
Fortune,
3 Apr. 2026
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Time and time again, pioneers of new platforms have also bought up content and influenced conversations about those platforms.—
Brian Stelter,
CNN Money,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Don’t gag, don’t cry — and my stomach lurched.—
Kate Crane,
Rolling Stone,
2 Apr. 2026
-
Since then, the larger culture has lurched rightward, with big corporations abandoning progressive signaling in favor of…other priorities.—
Alison Herman,
Variety,
25 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The school sued, contending that its methods were legitimate, and the Supreme Court ultimately ruled in its favor.—
Dhruv Khullar,
New Yorker,
6 Apr. 2026
-
In the sixth, Fried picked off Heriberto Hernández, who initially was ruled safe by first base umpire Tom Hanahan.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
6 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Our team will continue exploring ways to reduce tick exposure that will benefit homeowners and affected communities.—
Emily Bache,
The Conversation,
31 Mar. 2026
-
Still, the attack may have affected numerous software developers considering Axios’s reach.—
Michael Kan,
PC Magazine,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
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But the war with Iran has rocked markets, sending the Dow and Nasdaq into correction territory.—
John Towfighi,
CNN Money,
31 Mar. 2026
-
The horrific shooting has rocked the Plainville community, with its reverberations being felt throughout the state.—
Justin Muszynski,
Hartford Courant,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Michel now oversees Larkin’s graduate medical educational programs and is chairman of Larkin University, which is governed separately from the hospital, said Smith, the hospital’s attorney.—
Carol Marbin Miller,
Miami Herald,
2 Apr. 2026
-
Critics, including the American Gaming Association, counter that federal intervention undermines the state-by-state regulatory model that has successfully governed the industry since 2018.—
Cláudia Nunes,
The Orlando Sentinel,
2 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Tommie and her family were later convinced to move to the federal Indian reservation in what is now Hollywood, according to a Sun Sentinel news article from 2015.—
Scott Travis,
Sun Sentinel,
4 Apr. 2026
-
Friedman, best known for his work on economic mobility with the Harvard economist Raj Chetty, has become convinced that the most important thing a student gets from an Ivy Plus education isn’t instruction or prestige or even connections.—
Rose Horowitch,
The Atlantic,
4 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Everyone in Washington’s lineup had at least one hit, and Foster Griffin impressed in his first MLB action since 2022.—
Danielle Allentuck,
Washington Post,
31 Mar. 2026
-
Seeing how well Caldwell handled himself on the rock immediately impressed her.—
Namir Khaliq,
Big Think,
31 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Swayed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/swayed. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
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