1
as in swaps
to give up (something) and take something else in return
switched the real grapes for fake ones switched the day of his flight from Thursday to Friday
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in flaps
to move from side to side or up and down with quick jerky motions
cows lazily switching their tails and chewing their cud
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in hides
to strike repeatedly with something long and thin or flexible
switched the stagecoach horses to control the direction they took
Synonyms & Similar Words
4
as in reverses
to change (as an opinion) to the contrary
a politician who has switched his position on a number of issues
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in licks
to strike repeatedly
the loose rigging switched the mast during the storm
Synonyms & Similar Words
1
as in whips
a long thin or flexible tool for striking
struck the horse's hide with a leather switch, and it took off at a gallop
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in flicks
a quick jerky movement from side to side or up and down
that telltale switch of the cat's tail meant there was a mouse under the piano
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in punches
a hard strike with a part of the body or an instrument
in frustration, he gave the mule a sharp switch on the rump, but it still wouldn't budge
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of switches
C.c. Weiss
may 15, New Atlas, 15 May 2026
If you weren’t sold by the rapping and the Auto-Tune, Akylas slows it down in the final verse and switches the meaning of the song.
—Charlie Harding, Vulture, 15 May 2026
Red light switches them back into a free-swimming state.
—Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 15 May 2026
The action switches between Mission Control and the lunar surface as the race against time builds.
—Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 7 May 2026
This 2-gallon watering can pulls double duty with a removable stainless steel shower head that switches between a gentle sprinkle for delicate plants and a steady stream for thirstier ones.
—Jill Layton, PEOPLE, 27 Apr. 2026
This service automatically switches to cellular internet when your primary connection goes down keeping you online during outages caused by power shut offs or natural disasters.
—Cox Communications, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Apr. 2026
Here, in the 3-2 win against Fulham on February 1, Fernandes is in a central position as Lisandro Martinez switches the ball to Amad on the United right.
—Ahmed Walid, New York Times, 22 Apr. 2026
Near the end of this complex six-hundred-page book, Yamashita switches to a collective pronoun, suggesting that a common dream has connected her characters.
—Hua Hsu, New Yorker, 20 Apr. 2026
Sheryl Estrada, Fortune, 15 May 2026
The music is tricky, with plenty of stylistic switches — a spiritual note one moment, the blues the next.
—Charlotte Observer, 13 May 2026
During the third quarter, Cisco announced switches and routers that use its next-generation processor.
—Jordan Novet, CNBC, 13 May 2026
The court document said officers found two Glock-style handguns with conversion switches in the sedan.
—Nick Lentz, CBS News, 11 May 2026
Scientists knew that people with this chromosome produced an abnormal enzyme that regulates one of the on-off switches for cell growth.
—Sydney Lupkin, NPR, 10 May 2026
Neither their dual for the lead nor their fight over second place after Norris swept to the lead, featured any contact among the several position switches.
—David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 10 May 2026
Hoiberg runs a lot of sets that require multiple reads and the best shots often come behind the play once switches happen or the Huskers get the defense in rotation.
—Cj Moore, New York Times, 8 May 2026
The wild switches that follow feel like jumping between the bathroom and the dancefloor.
—Marcos Sanoja, Pitchfork, 8 May 2026
Verb
To further aid in weight savings, Airstream sizes certain equipment down or switches it over to the options sheet.
—C.c. Weiss
may 15, New Atlas, 15 May 2026
If you weren’t sold by the rapping and the Auto-Tune, Akylas slows it down in the final verse and switches the meaning of the song.
—Charlie Harding, Vulture, 15 May 2026
Red light switches them back into a free-swimming state.
—Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 15 May 2026
The action switches between Mission Control and the lunar surface as the race against time builds.
—Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 7 May 2026
This 2-gallon watering can pulls double duty with a removable stainless steel shower head that switches between a gentle sprinkle for delicate plants and a steady stream for thirstier ones.
—Jill Layton, PEOPLE, 27 Apr. 2026
This service automatically switches to cellular internet when your primary connection goes down keeping you online during outages caused by power shut offs or natural disasters.
—Cox Communications, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Apr. 2026
Here, in the 3-2 win against Fulham on February 1, Fernandes is in a central position as Lisandro Martinez switches the ball to Amad on the United right.
—Ahmed Walid, New York Times, 22 Apr. 2026
Near the end of this complex six-hundred-page book, Yamashita switches to a collective pronoun, suggesting that a common dream has connected her characters.
—Hua Hsu, New Yorker, 20 Apr. 2026
Noun
From dot-com darling to infrastructure workhorse Founded in 1984, Cisco is traditionally known as the backbone of the internet—its routers, switches, and networking hardware have powered enterprise and carrier networks for decades.
—Sheryl Estrada, Fortune, 15 May 2026
The music is tricky, with plenty of stylistic switches — a spiritual note one moment, the blues the next.
—Charlotte Observer, 13 May 2026
During the third quarter, Cisco announced switches and routers that use its next-generation processor.
—Jordan Novet, CNBC, 13 May 2026
The court document said officers found two Glock-style handguns with conversion switches in the sedan.
—Nick Lentz, CBS News, 11 May 2026
Scientists knew that people with this chromosome produced an abnormal enzyme that regulates one of the on-off switches for cell growth.
—Sydney Lupkin, NPR, 10 May 2026
Neither their dual for the lead nor their fight over second place after Norris swept to the lead, featured any contact among the several position switches.
—David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 10 May 2026
Hoiberg runs a lot of sets that require multiple reads and the best shots often come behind the play once switches happen or the Huskers get the defense in rotation.
—Cj Moore, New York Times, 8 May 2026
The wild switches that follow feel like jumping between the bathroom and the dancefloor.
—Marcos Sanoja, Pitchfork, 8 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for switches
Verb
-
Hethington swaps the sliced plantain for his own pasta, made primarily with puréed plantains, some tapioca starch and a little bit of all-purpose flour.—
Jenn Harris,
Los Angeles Times,
14 May 2026
-
Tom Holland swaps his padel for a HexClad pan while hosting his 2nd Annual Bero Padel Classic on April 29 in Los Angeles.—
Toria Sheffield,
PEOPLE,
4 May 2026
Verb
-
The structure flaps its wings when powered by electricity.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
9 Apr. 2026
-
View gallery - 7 images A wooden dragon sculpture that gently flaps its wings has become a crowd-funding hit, but after seeing the traditional handcrafted work that's been put into every single model, making each one unique, the value of such a piece becomes strikingly clear.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
24 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
So Daisy hides the truth from everyone but Shu.—
Amanda Whiting,
Vulture,
13 May 2026
-
The virus hides out in reservoirs in the body and rebounds fast if people stop treatment.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
12 May 2026
Verb
-
The turn toward eveningness begins around age 10, peaks in the late teenage years (around 19 to 21-years old), and then gradually reverses.—
Scott Travers,
Forbes.com,
18 May 2026
-
After the solstice, the sun reverses course and begins to shift back to the north.—
Joe Rao,
Space.com,
18 May 2026
Verb
-
At one point A’zion licks the digitally de-aged Mick Jagger’s face.—
Ethan Millman,
HollywoodReporter,
14 May 2026
-
For good measure, Marty Supreme actress Odessa A’zion literally licks the face of the Stones frontman, who in real life is 82 years old.—
SPIN Staff,
SPIN,
14 May 2026
Noun
-
Willow whips, vines and shorter branches will not be picked up during brush collection.—
Michelle Mullins,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Apr. 2026
-
His tail whips against the stalks of flowers planted by the woman who recently moved there with him.—
María Ospina,
The Dial,
31 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The Short documentary is one of many fresh flicks on streaming this week.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
15 May 2026
-
Suddenly, unabashed genre flicks could be celebrated on the same level as social realist dramas.—
Christopher Vourlias,
Variety,
15 May 2026
Noun
-
In the lightweight division, Salahdine Parnasse (23-2) defeated Kenneth Cross (17-5) in the first round after landing a flurry of punches and dominating him early.—
Eduard Cauich,
Los Angeles Times,
17 May 2026
-
There were more hugs after the fight between the two than punches landed, and, in total, far more time clocked during those hugs than the fight itself.—
Sean Joseph OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
17 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Switches.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/switches. Accessed 22 May. 2026.
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