swath

1 of 2

noun (1)

ˈswäth How to pronounce swath (audio)
ˈswȯth
variants or swathe
ˈswät͟h How to pronounce swath (audio)
ˈswȯt͟h, 
ˈswāt͟h How to pronounce swath (audio)
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

swath

2 of 2

noun (2)

ˈswät͟h How to pronounce swath (audio) ˈswäth How to pronounce swath (audio)
ˈswȯt͟h, 
ˈswȯth

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.
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Noun
The 1,650-acre swath of land looks pristine but was first created to provide advanced treatment of reclaimed wastewater. — Patrick Connolly, The Orlando Sentinel, 30 Oct. 2026 Hollywood is in the midst of an industry-wide consolidation that has affected wide swaths of Southern California. — Samantha Masunaga, Los Angeles Times, 28 Oct. 2026 But a rising swath of digital inventory, spurred by the rise of cheap FAST channels and increased inventory on mainstream streamers, has weakened the media companies’ stance. — Brian Steinberg, Variety, 27 Oct. 2026 Some of those potential risks have manifested themselves recently, as the firms have faced intense scrutiny over a swath of incidents in which their models and agents have hacked into government and private websites and services. — Steve Kopack, NBC news, 26 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

Rhymes for swath

See All Rhymes for swath

Browse Nearby Words

swatch
swath
swathboard
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Swath.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/swath. Accessed 1 Nov. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

swath

noun
ˈswäth How to pronounce swath (audio)
ˈswȯth
variants or swathe
ˈswät͟h How to pronounce swath (audio)
ˈswȯt͟h, 
ˈswāt͟h
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

More from Merriam-Webster on swath

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for swath

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of Pyrrhic

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Pwn, Skibidi, Girlboss and Other Words Added to the 2026 Scrabble Dictionary

The Words of the Week - Oct. 30

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
couple-laugh-cafe
Quiz: Foreign Phrases You Should Know Check out your bona fides and avoid any faux pas.
See All