swearing 1 of 2

noun

as in profanity

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swearing

2 of 2

verb

present participle of swear
1
as in cursing
to use offensive or indecent language no one is allowed to swear in this house

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2
as in vowing
to make a solemn declaration of intent swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth

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3
as in testifying
to make a solemn declaration under oath for the purpose of establishing a fact the sworn statement of the witness was presented as evidence

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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 swearing
Noun
June 9 is the anniversary of your swearing-in, right? — Kevin Townsend, The Atlantic, 18 June 2026 There’s a good chance the next Sacramento City Council will consist of the same nine faces after its swearing-in ceremony in December. — Jennah Pendleton, Sacbee.com, 11 June 2026 Russell plays the fool wonderfully as Fairchild's suffering boyfriend, reacting to the increasingly bizarre events as most of us would, with incredulity and swearing, and there are some brilliant sight gags sprinkled throughout the film. — Ian Stokes, Space.com, 12 June 2026 When Greenspan joined the Ford administration as an economic adviser, Rand attended his swearing-in ceremony. — Scott Horsley, NPR, 22 June 2026 For the most part, all reliable and good, though occasionally, particularly during trips off-hours when ridership would fall off, the experience could be dicey with the train car almost empty and a rider shouting, swearing, smoking or even being threatening. — Chicago Tribune, 8 June 2026 Fed day Federal Reserve Chairman Kevin Warsh departs from the East Room of the White House after a swearing-in ceremony, May 22, 2026. — Alex Harring, CNBC, 17 June 2026 After turning heads with $600 boots at her husband, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s, swearing-in ceremony, Duwaji has once again captured the attention of the fashion-obsessed with a look inspired by the New York Knicks. — Karla Rodriguez, Footwear News, 18 June 2026
Verb
Social media videos show drivers aghast at the lines or swearing at empty gas pumps and rising prices. — ABC News, 1 July 2026 Andrew has a long record of rudeness to staff, shouting and swearing at them and going against strict protocol rules over security. — Christina Dugan Ramirez , Ashley Papa, FOXNews.com, 1 June 2026 Ormund buckles easily enough, dropping to his knee and swearing fealty to Daenerys. — Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 6 July 2026 Knowing auto engineers that probably means lots of swearing and finally using a crowbar and lump hammer to make the thing fit. — New Atlas, 15 June 2026 The trio signed the papers swearing their allegiance to the United States of America, not King George the Third. — Amanda Rosa, Miami Herald, 18 June 2026 The Douglas County Sheriff's Office honored a Colorado veteran's decades of service and sacrifice by swearing him in as an honorary sheriff's deputy. — Christa Swanson, CBS News, 25 May 2026 The Atlanta Police Department later released bodycam footage to TMZ, which showed Poirier attempting to fight a police officer and swearing at airline employees. — Natasha Dye, PEOPLE, 24 June 2026 Davidson, 54, became the subject of numerous documentaries, and in 2019, made headlines for unintentionally swearing at Queen Elizabeth II while receiving an award for his advocacy work. — Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 26 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for swearing
  1. profanity
  2. cursing
  3. vowing
  4. testifying
  5. blasphemy
  6. cussing
  7. promising
  8. insult
Noun
  • The Michigan chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations described the threats as two profanity-laced, threatening audio messages left for the center.
    — Paula Wethington, CBS News, 30 June 2026
  • The couple’s relationship began with a friendship bracelet and a podcast shout-out in July 2023, and by September Swift was screaming profanities in support of her new favorite football player.
    — Alejandra Gularte, Vulture, 30 June 2026
Definition of profanity
Verb
  • The woman started cursing her out.
    — Caitlin McGlade, Charlotte Observer, 2 June 2026
  • Throughout our conversation, Rosenbaum frequently cited examples in which obvious AI errors left him enraged and literally cursing at the machine.
    — Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 22 May 2026
Definition of cursing
Verb
  • As Mexico’s team prepares to take on England on Sunday night, a match that many predict will be the toughest yet for El Tri, authorities nationwide are vowing to strengthen safety protocols.
    — Kate Linthicum, Los Angeles Times, 3 July 2026
  • Several Gulf countries have strongly denounced Iran's drone strikes Saturday on the island nation of Bahrain, while vowing to stand united against any possible aggression from Tehran in the future.
    — James Cirrone, FOXNews.com, 27 June 2026
Definition of vowing
Verb
  • Following the sentencing, Suffolk County District Attorney Kevin Hayden praised the survivors for their courage in testifying.
    — Nicole Acosta, PEOPLE, 29 June 2026
  • Now testifying is Johnson County Sheriff’s Office Lt.
    — Lillie Davidson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 26 June 2026
Definition of testifying
Noun
  • This was a weak case for blasphemy.
    — Bozorgmehr Sharafedin, The Atlantic, 1 June 2026
  • The president later removed the post in the face of outrage and accusations of blasphemy.
    — Laura Kelly, The Hill, 4 May 2026
Definition of blasphemy
Verb
  • In the 2015 track, Sonya’s boyfriend finds them by the pool and starts cussing them out, pushing Coley to the ground, who, in turn, punches him.
    — Arushi Jacob, Variety, 19 June 2026
  • By the time Ben is unmaking the bed, lying in it, and cussing João out, the fight is bad.
    — Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 26 May 2026
Definition of cussing
Verb
  • Trump campaigned on addressing those frustrations, promising disruption instead of the status quo.
    — Eric Berger, ArsTechnica, 3 July 2026
  • The forecasts are looking increasingly promising for aurora chasers.
    — Daisy Dobrijevic, Space.com, 2 July 2026
Definition of promising
Noun
  • According to Spell and members of his congregation, the man had a history of verbally harassing them with threats, insults and racial slurs.
    — Drew Pittock, USA Today, 25 June 2026
  • Michael Lind, the writer and New America co-founder, argues in Commonplace, the magazine of Oren Cass’s American Compass, that a decent wage and a safety net should be enough, and that handing workers a stake in capital insults the dignity of their labor.
    — Teresa Ghilarducci, Forbes.com, 23 June 2026
Definition of insult

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Cite this Entry

“Swearing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/swearing. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of swearing for Spanish Speakers

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