swim

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verb

ˈswim

swam ˈswam

; swum ˈswəm

; swimming

intransitive verb

: to propel oneself in water by natural means (such as movements of the limbs, fins, or tail)

: to play in the water (as at a beach or swimming pool)

: to move with a motion like that of swimming : glide

a cloud swam slowly across the moon

: to float on a liquid : not sink

: to surmount difficulties : not go under

sink or swim, live or die, survive or perish

Daniel Webster

: to become immersed in or flooded with or as if with a liquid

potatoes swimming in gravy

: to have a floating or reeling appearance or sensation

transitive verb

: to cross by propelling oneself through water

swim a stream

: to execute in swimming

: to cause to swim or float

swim

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noun

: a smooth gliding motion

: an act or period of swimming

: a temporary dizziness or unconsciousness

: an area frequented by fish

: the main current of activity

in the swim

swim

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adjective

: of, relating to, or used in or for swimming

Example Sentences

Verb He's teaching the children to swim. She swam across the pool. He swam the English Channel. The racers must swim the backstroke. We watched the fish swimming in the river. Ducks swam in the pond. I felt weak and my head was swimming. The room swam before my eyes. Noun the merest glimpse of blood sends him into a swim See More

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Pups nurse from their mothers, scoot across the sand together and slowly learn to swim.

Jared Vincenti, Los Angeles Times, 14 Oct. 2022 There was only one problem: Despite playing the leader of an advanced aquatic kingdom, the actor himself didn't know how to swim.

Devan Coggan, EW.com, 6 Oct. 2022 Her 75-year-old grandmother didn’t know how to swim.

Time, 30 Sep. 2022 Her 75-year-old grandmother didn’t know how to swim.

Beatrice Dupuy, Sun Sentinel, 30 Sep. 2022 But being cast and finally signing onto their roles was complicated initially by the Issa sisters not knowing how to swim.

Etan Vlessing, The Hollywood Reporter, 9 Sep. 2022 Others weren’t strong swimmers, due in part to longstanding segregationist policies about public pools and beaches that kept generations of Black people from learning how to swim.

Kim O'connell, Smithsonian Magazine, 25 July 2022 Liberty said the clinic aims to help teach younger children who lack access to a community pool or lessons on how to swim.

Chloe Mcgowan, The Indianapolis Star, 11 July 2022 The time is now to teach every kid in San Diego County how to swim — starting with the youth that lives in the most critical neighborhood communities served by the Jackie Robinson Family YMCA.

Michael Brunker, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 June 2022

Noun

From now through December 9 (that's a long sale, folks), Girlfriend Collective's comfortable activewear, loungewear, and accessories are 35% off, with additional markdowns on sale items, outerwear, swim, sleep, and more.

Sarah Madaus, SELF, 28 Nov. 2022 With every swim and buoy turn, the Del Mar Buoy Girls live this truth.

Steven P. Dinkin, San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 Nov. 2022 The couple sported colorful beachwear for the occasion, with Lautner, 30, wearing bright blue swim trunks and Dome, 25, rocking a pastel green one-piece.

Natalia Senanayake, Peoplemag, 22 Nov. 2022 Skipper completed the Tempe course (2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike, 26.2-mile run) with a preliminary time of 7 hours 46 minutes and 0 seconds.

Alex Suarez, The Arizona Republic, 21 Nov. 2022 Sigourney Weaver, in a brand-new role after appearing as Dr. Grace Augustine in Avatar, plays Kiri, Jake and Neytiri's adopted 15-year-old daughter, seen here taking her first swim in the Pandoran waters.

Nick Romano, EW.com, 10 Nov. 2022 Lyn Jutronich was resting in the water during her morning ocean swim when something rammed her hard out of the water.

CBS News, 8 Nov. 2022 The State Open swim meet will be Sunday at 2 p.m. at Yale.

Lori Riley, Hartford Courant, 19 Nov. 2022 If a jean jacket with the arms cut off doesn’t sing the holidays, keep in mind that Ken debuted in 1961 wearing only swim trunks and a matching beach shirt.

Leanne Italie, Chicago Tribune, 19 Nov. 2022

Adjective

This, along with a bite of a homemade peanut butter protein bar, makes for an ideal pre-swim breakfast.

Bon Appétit Contributor, Bon Appétit, 23 Sep. 2022 And the majority of drownings – 69% – actually occur during non-swim times.

Dr. Michael Daignault, USA TODAY, 14 July 2022 For a post-swim bite to eat, stop by the nearby tiki-themed Pool Burger.

Anna Mazurek, Chron, 30 June 2022 Costume designer Dinah Collin won an Emmy for her work on the BBC series, which has since inspired a generation of Regency adaptations—not to mention the string of winks to the transformative post-swim moment.

Emma Fraser, Town & Country, 10 Apr. 2022 But behind-the-scenes, Grandma’s cop-worthy post-swim lewk resulted from a practical request from the 85-year-old lead Tsai Chin, who is an accomplished — and very glamorous IRL — stage and screen legend on both sides of the pond and mainland China.

Fawnia Soo Hoo, refinery29.com, 2 Dec. 2020 Facial coverings are required at all times, except while swimming or during the pre-swim shower.

Lisa J. Huriash, sun-sentinel.com, 8 Sep. 2020 Katie Ledecky enjoys her post-swim refreshments while still in the water.

Lindsay Kimble, PEOPLE.com, 3 Aug. 2020 This morning, Reebok announced its latest footwear launch with Chromat, which made its runway debut during the swim brand’s Spring 2020 New York Fashion Week show.

Eliza Huber, refinery29.com, 15 May 2020 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'swim.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.