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
Hannah Sacks, PEOPLE, 5 Jan. 2026
While the typical way to make cinnamon rolls from the tube involves simply placing each roll on a baking sheet with a few inches in between, this method switches things up, starting with a casserole dish.
—Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 29 Dec. 2025
Your planetary ruler, Jupiter, switches signs from Cancer to Leo on June 30th, urging you to transform your innermost philosophies.
—Lisa Stardust, Refinery29, 26 Dec. 2025
During the Show For every act like Phish that switches around the songs from night to night, there are about 50 like Lady Gaga who basically stick to one set throughout the entire course of the tour.
—Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 26 Dec. 2025
Valente then switches the plates to an unregistered plate out of Maine.
—Jay Marques, NBC news, 20 Dec. 2025
Summer Options Come summer, One&Only switches its programming to suit the season.
—Jessica Campbell-Salley, Outside, 19 Dec. 2025
The party continues, and the scene switches to a day party in the streets.
—Christine Imarenezor, VIBE.com, 18 Dec. 2025
The two-act play starts in a Greek marketplace, then switches to a college professor’s office.
—Elizabeth Marie Himchak, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Nov. 2025
Arkansas Online, 7 Jan. 2026
The six-chip family—combine them like Infinity Stones for an AI supercomputer—include a CPU, DPU, GPU, network accelerator, and pair of switches.
—Andrew Nusca, Fortune, 6 Jan. 2026
What stands out is not just the ability to climb stairs, something already demonstrated by other quadruped robots, but the speed and fluidity with which the D5 switches between locomotion modes.
—Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 5 Jan. 2026
Check the area around light switches for smudges and any other areas that are susceptible to marks or stains.
—Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 31 Dec. 2025
Silver, meanwhile, is a key component in electrical circuits and switches, as well as electric vehicles and solar energy products.
—Steve Kopack, NBC news, 30 Dec. 2025
The first use of AECs will probably be to link individual GPUs to the network switches that form the scale-out network.
—IEEE Spectrum, 27 Dec. 2025
In terms of sheer ability, Brown has no trouble navigating these bustling beats, which are packed with rhythms, drops, switches, and sound effects.
—Stephen Kearse, Rolling Stone, 10 Nov. 2025
The lunch menu switches from traditional Brazilian dishes to an international buffet on Saturdays, and an English roast dinner on Sundays.
—Taylor McIntyre, Travel + Leisure, 5 Nov. 2025
Verb
The scene then switches to Casey sitting in front of her two daughters.
—Noun
The switches came two days after the Commanders' disappointing season ended.
—Recent Examples of Synonyms for switches
Verb
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In a new trailer for The Death of Robin Hood released on January 6, Jackman swaps out his clean-shaven ethos for a rugged silver fox transformation, complete with a long grizzled beard and wiry gray hair.—
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Follow along as Santa swaps his sleigh for a Carnival cruise ship!—
Verb
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In the canonical metaphorical example, a butterfly flaps its wings in Brazil, and the cascading sequence of atmospheric perturbations leads to a tornado in Texas.—
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That goes for Jimmy Kimmel and for anybody who flaps their gums for a living.—
Verb
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And while Americans’ overall ideological self-identification looks stable in the aggregate (37% very conservative/conservative, 34% moderate, 25% very liberal/liberal), a January 2025 Gallup poll shows that this steadiness hides tectonic tensions tugging beneath the surface.—
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Now, Scieszka’s debut filters Tuck Everlasting-esque immortality through the social media age—examining how someone hides their eternal lifespan from facial recognition technology and venture capitalists looking to capitalize upon family property and the ultimate anti-aging secrets.—
Verb
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Good briefly reverses, then turns and drives forward as Ross opens fire.—
-
The driver reverses as one of the agents tries to open the driver’s side door, then pulls forward.—
Verb
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Everybody licks the big pink flesh wall.—
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Posted to the account @maisythemarshmallow on September 19, the video shows the dog, named Maisy, lying calmly as the cat snuggles up and licks her face.—
Noun
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Sticks, staff, swords, sabers, whips or scepters including extendable items.—
-
Prayer mats lie next to heavy artillery; smoke billows from parked whips; backstabbers get cut first.—
Noun
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Havertz’s ability to ghost into the box unmarked had previously worked well in tandem with Jesus, with the Brazilian assisting a couple of his early Arsenal goals with deft flicks into the six-yard box.—
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So, curl up with a seasonal spirit and enjoy these festive flicks that are equal parts merry, scary, brutal and sexy.—
Noun
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Punch Makes a Comeback Exotic and nostalgic punches are taking center stage in home entertaining, offering both visual appeal and easy service.—
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The humanoid performs spins, punches, one-legged stances, rapid kicks, and low sweeps, then transitions into aerobatic sequences.—
Cite this Entry
“Switches.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/switches. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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