1
as in hissing
to make a sound like that of stretching out the speech sound \s\
with their satin costumes swishing, the little ballerinas chasséd onto the stage
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in flapping
to move from side to side or up and down with quick jerky motions
the horse's tail swishes after every jump
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for swishing
Verb
-
Initially Mila can be seen hissing at Fifi, just for being near her.—
Maria Azzurra Volpe,
MSNBC Newsweek,
26 Aug. 2025 -
In 2021, scientists at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore turned Madagascar hissing cockroaches into cyborgs, implanting electrodes in sensory organs known as cerci that were then connected to tiny computers.—
Ashley Belanger,
ArsTechnica,
22 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
While Manchester United’s Altay Bayindir (6ft 6in) was left flapping at a Declan Rice corner as Riccardo Calafiori nodded home, Raya easily dealt with similar issues later in the game, catching one delivery and punching the other well away from danger.—
Mark Carey,
New York Times,
15 Sep. 2025
-
These behaviors included; lifting one leg, spinning around on a perch, and flapping their wings on command (Figure 1B).—
GrrlScientist,
Forbes.com,
13 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
While you guys had staff inside laughing, pointing and even flicking off the crowd outside.—
Megan Cartwright,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Prior to the 2024 incident, Mangione reportedly shared information on Reddit about a number of health issues, including struggles with back pain, brain fog, and twitching leg muscles.—
Olivia-Anne Cleary,
Time,
16 Sep. 2025
-
Koberidze opens with a montage of cats, foot traffic, street dogs twitching in their sleep, statues and trees casting long shadows across buildings.—
Jessica Kiang,
Variety,
17 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Endophytes can be unpredictable; for example, increasing rather than decreasing aphid infestation of beans and wheat, as noted in research from Denmark, or switching from beneficial to parasitic depending on water availability, as Hawkes witnessed.—
Anna Marija Helt,
JSTOR Daily,
17 Sep. 2025
-
Go big and paint an accent wall using a moody gray color, or keep it simple by switching out artwork on your mantel.—
Savanna Bous,
Better Homes & Gardens,
17 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
In a video Trump posted to a social media, a small boat can be seen bobbing the water before being struck, resulting in a cloud of black smoke.—
Anne Flaherty,
ABC News,
15 Sep. 2025
-
Across the field, Granite Hills’ talented junior quarterback, Zac Benitez, chilled out, bobbing his head to tunes playing on his headphones.—
Don Norcross,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
12 Sep. 2025
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Cite this Entry
“Swishing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/swishing. Accessed 21 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share