SWAB Synonyms: 75 Similar and Opposite Words

swab 1 of 2

noun

ˈswäb

Definition of swab

as in sailor

one who operates or navigates a seagoing vessel old swabs swapping sea stories as they spend their last days in the veterans' home

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swab

2 of 2

verb

as in to wipe

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Example Sentences

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.

Recent Examples of swab

Noun

For one thing, a positive surface swab still wouldn’t confirm the castle was the source. — Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 11 Sep. 2026 The complaint claims that a DNA swab from the gun’s trigger contained a mixture of three people, and the results strongly suggest that Miller was one of them. — Ben Wheeler, Kansas City Star, 8 Sep. 2026

Verb

Following the interview, the Connecticut State Police arrived to swab his hands for gunshot residue. — Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 18 July 2026 In the absence of active lesions to swab for HSV itself, tests must evaluate the immune response to the virus in a patient’s blood, typically by screening for the immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibody. — Lauren Schneider, Scientific American, 9 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for swab

Recent Examples of Synonyms for swab

Noun

Bulgarians voted against a backdrop of growing economic hardship and drone attacks on Black Sea shipping, which have left several sailors dead or missing.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 27 Oct. 2026
Out in the harbor, the skeletons of derelict ships abandoned by sailors who had gone searching for gold formed the first and strangest San Francisco skyline.

— Kathryn Schulz, New Yorker, 26 Oct. 2026

Definition of sailor

Noun

And the fact that he was made an officer in the Provincial Marine by the British is a sign of his quality as a mariner and a leader.

— J. B. MacKinnon, Harpers Magazine, 27 Oct. 2026
According to family history, DaCosta Levy’s family lineage traced to Portugal, where his ancestors had been mariners — almost certainly Sephardic Jews who scattered across the Atlantic world after the Inquisition.

— Zachary Kranc, Sun Sentinel, 27 Oct. 2026

Definition of mariner

Verb

His LinkedIn profile has since been scrubbed of every job except Haemanthus.

— Bilin Lin, Fortune, 25 Oct. 2026
But also, this virtual guy is just so darned persistent, popping back up on PSA’s computers even after Michael hires their previous client Vik to scrub the network.

— Noel Murray, Vulture, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of scrub

Noun

But his big break would come with Star Trek in 1967 — the start of a 25-year journey as navigator of the starship USS Enterprise.

— Erik Pedersen, Deadline, 26 Oct. 2026
Smitley works as a family navigator for a nonprofit organization that supports people with mental illness.

— Stephanie Dhue,Sharon Epperson, CNBC, 26 Oct. 2026

Definition of navigator

Verb

Lightly brush the borders with the egg wash, avoiding the cut edges.

— Monti Carlo, AJC.com, 23 Oct. 2026
Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman brushed off talk of a fading dynasty, saying the team is focused on building a roster that can contend in 2027.

— Maddie Lee, Los Angeles Times, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of brush

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svelteness

swab

swabbed

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Style

“Swab.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/swab. Accessed 29 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of swab

noun

verb

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