1
as in effects
the power to bring about a result on another
under the sway of euphoria, she offered to take us all out to dinner in celebration of her new job
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in influences
the power to direct the thinking or behavior of others usually indirectly
outdated attitudes that still hold sway in some communities
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in controls
the right or means to command or control others
a time when Rome held sway over a vast empire that stretched from Britain to the Near East
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in affects
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?"
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in lurches
to make a series of unsteady side-to-side motions
the way the ski lift was swaying in the wind made me nervous
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in governs
archaic
to exercise authority or power over
an epic novel set in the days when Rome swayed the Western world
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of sways
Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 9 June 2026
Now the castle is in ruins (though with explanatory signage), with hiking paths, a museum, and a 1,200-foot pedestrian suspension bridge that sways 300 feet above the valley floor.
—Tribune News Service, Baltimore Sun, 8 June 2026
One big question now, Thomas says, is whether a tie-up with a paragon of fast-fashion alienates Everlane's current clientele — or sways Shein shoppers to trade up.
—Alina Selyukh, NPR, 22 May 2026
Biff shouts at him at the show’s excruciating climax) sways between light and dark, between the road and the deadly shoulder, advancing through his last hours on earth as if through the stations of the cross.
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 10 Apr. 2026
Sunday's vote was seen as a key test of whether the EU member nation stays on its liberal course or sways toward the right.
—ABC News, 23 Mar. 2026
Grips the microphone, sways her hips.
—Literary Hub, 16 Mar. 2026
What to Expect From ‘Reminders of Him’ The film barely sways from the book, which has sold more than 6 million copies, a decision Caswill says was intentional after reading the screenplay by Lauren Levine and Hoover.
—Anna Halkidis, Parents, 11 Mar. 2026
Williams turns his ear for propulsive and bombastic melodies onto traditional Japanese instrumentation, creating a work that sways between gentle, meditative themes for the titular geisha (Ziyi) and heart-pounding selections to fill out her chaotic, tragic life.
—Alex Galbraith, Entertainment Weekly, 15 Feb. 2026
Verb
Republican political consultants are skeptical that Paxton’s place on the ballot sways the needle for Democrats.
—Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 9 June 2026
Now the castle is in ruins (though with explanatory signage), with hiking paths, a museum, and a 1,200-foot pedestrian suspension bridge that sways 300 feet above the valley floor.
—Tribune News Service, Baltimore Sun, 8 June 2026
One big question now, Thomas says, is whether a tie-up with a paragon of fast-fashion alienates Everlane's current clientele — or sways Shein shoppers to trade up.
—Alina Selyukh, NPR, 22 May 2026
Biff shouts at him at the show’s excruciating climax) sways between light and dark, between the road and the deadly shoulder, advancing through his last hours on earth as if through the stations of the cross.
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 10 Apr. 2026
Sunday's vote was seen as a key test of whether the EU member nation stays on its liberal course or sways toward the right.
—ABC News, 23 Mar. 2026
Grips the microphone, sways her hips.
—Literary Hub, 16 Mar. 2026
What to Expect From ‘Reminders of Him’ The film barely sways from the book, which has sold more than 6 million copies, a decision Caswill says was intentional after reading the screenplay by Lauren Levine and Hoover.
—Anna Halkidis, Parents, 11 Mar. 2026
Williams turns his ear for propulsive and bombastic melodies onto traditional Japanese instrumentation, creating a work that sways between gentle, meditative themes for the titular geisha (Ziyi) and heart-pounding selections to fill out her chaotic, tragic life.
—Alex Galbraith, Entertainment Weekly, 15 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sways
Noun
-
Organizers say the free show will have more than 10,000 pyrotechnic effects along the Detroit River.—
DeJanay Booth-Singleton,
CBS News,
17 June 2026
-
These conditions can increase your vulnerability to adverse effects from poor air quality.—
Southern California Weather Report,
Oc Register,
16 June 2026
Noun
-
Our research suggests that activists seeking to protect American democracy from authoritarian influences are pursuing a failing strategy.—
Scott Warren,
The Atlantic,
13 June 2026
-
Later, Juan-Carlos Chaurand joined FK Menace as part of Sin Tope, blending traditional Latin influences with contemporary sounds.—
J.M. Banks
June 12,
Kansas City Star,
12 June 2026
Noun
-
With these export controls, it has now also been deemed too dangerous for foreign use.—
Richard Hall,
Time,
13 June 2026
-
The move comes after Anthropic’s receipt of a US Commerce Department directive Friday evening, subjecting the new models to export controls restricting their use anywhere outside the United States.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
13 June 2026
Verb
-
That down-to-the-toes level of care is a feature of a program that has transformed the way MLK Community Healthcare treats diabetes, a chronic condition that affects one in every six South Los Angeles residents and nearly a quarter of MLK’s outpatients.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
14 June 2026
-
The condition primarily affects babies under one year of age because their immune systems are still developing.—
Victoria Forster,
Forbes.com,
14 June 2026
Verb
-
The film unhurriedly lurches from one markedly similar fight scene to the next, with only Skeletor’s occasional injections of ripe innuendo to liven them up a bit.—
Guy Lodge,
Variety,
2 June 2026
-
By the end, Noonan’s film stops feeling like a first date and starts to resemble the makings of a crime scene as his mood lurches toward something dangerous.—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
1 May 2026
Verb
-
The appeal was filed after defense attorneys argued successfully that the original grand jury hadn’t been shown the relevant parts of a law that governs how presidential contests are certified.—
Jacques Billeaud,
Los Angeles Times,
18 June 2026
-
Its entire sensor architecture exists to model the HPO axis—the hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian system, the hormonal feedback loop that governs nearly every dimension of female physiology.—
Lily Mae Lazarus,
Fortune,
17 June 2026
Noun
-
The system has a 60 percent chance of becoming a tropical storm, with significant impacts possible across the Deep South.—
Ben Noll,
Washington Post,
16 June 2026
-
Siebel Newsom has said their experiences of bullying and remote schooling during the pandemic informed her views on restricting kids’ access to social media and the impacts of artificial intelligence on children’s mental health.—
Lia Russell,
Sacbee.com,
16 June 2026
Noun
-
Another loophole Trump leverages to achieve his all-encompassing power grab is the National Emergencies Act.—
Jeffrey Sonnenfeld,
Time,
9 June 2026
-
According to Easter, each of the 33 cocktails on the menu leverages a bottle with a story behind it, and the staff is prepared to regale you with their histories.—
Sean Timberlake,
Sacbee.com,
29 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Sways.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sways. Accessed 20 Jun. 2026.
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