Synonyms of swath
1
a
: a row of cut grain or grass left by a scythe or mowing machine
b
: the sweep of a scythe or a machine in mowing or the path cut in one course
2
: a long broad strip or belt
3
: a stroke of or as if of a scythe
4
: a space devastated as if by a scythe

variant of swathe entry 1

1
: a band used in swathing
2
: an enveloping medium

Examples of swath in a Sentence

Noun (1) An aerial view of the countryside shows wide swathes of green. He cut a swath through the field with his scythe.
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Noun
Lawmakers split the rectangular 13th District into an hourglass shape that carved out Democratic voters in Raleigh and replaced them with a swath of rural counties reaching up to the Virginia border. — ABC News, 24 Oct. 2026 That leaves a wide swath of Android phones incompatible with Googlebooks until more updates arrive. — Joe Osborne, PC Magazine, 24 Oct. 2026 Who is affected Big swaths of rural America are losing Medicare Advantage choices and so are some major metro areas. — Emily Pisacreta, NPR, 24 Oct. 2026 Crumbl, the high-end dessert chain serving up oversized cookies, has closed a swath of stores nationwide including seven in California. — Los Angeles Times, 23 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for swath

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English, from Old English swæth footstep, trace; akin to Middle High German swade swath

First Known Use

Noun (1)

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of swath was in the 14th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Swath.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/swath. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

Kids Definition

variants or swathe
1
a
: the sweep of a scythe or machine in mowing or the path cut in one course
b
: a row of cut grain or grass
2
: a long broad strip or belt
3
: a space destroyed as if by a mowing machine

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