swashed; swashing; swashes
2
: to make violent noisy movements
3
: to move with a splashing sound
: to cause to splash
1
: swagger
2
: a narrow channel of water lying within a sandbank or between a sandbank and the shore
3
: a dashing of water against or on something
especially
: the rush of water up a beach from a breaking wave
: an extended flourish on a printed character
Synonyms
Examples of swash in a Sentence
Verb
waves gently swashing against the shore
every bump in the road swashed a little more of my soda on the car's upholstery
Recent Examples on the Web
Helen Rosner, The New Yorker, 30 June 2024
Other dishes were similarly transcendent: a slab of duck breast was tender and rare, with crisp skin and a dazzling swash of orange sauce.
—Helen Rosner, The New Yorker, 25 Feb. 2024
Hourglass Scattered Light Eyeshadow Hourglass’s Scattered Light Eyeshadow is a fun date night accessory thanks to a swash of sparkle that’s easy to apply: just a few dabs of product onto your eyelid, and the pearls will reflect light beautifully.
—Anamaria Glavan, Allure, 28 Sep. 2023
Some big trout are still in the swash on the beach at dawn, though this action will slow as the water continues to warm—topwaters get them.
—Frank Sargeant, al, 18 June 2021
Glow Set a travel necessity—perfect for quick makeup touch-ups, passing through TSA, or a shimmering swash of color.
—Kiana Murden, Vogue, 5 Nov. 2021
Hollywood’s history is rich with swash-buckling scenes.
—Allison Prang, WSJ, 22 Oct. 2021
Next in line are those tiny sand crabs that tickle your toes in the swash zone, where waves push up onto the sloping beachfront leaving lines of foam and clumps of oil.
—Los Angeles Times, 5 Oct. 2021
Next in line are the tiny sand crabs that tickle your toes in the swash zone, where waves push up onto the sloping beachfront leaving lines of foam and clumps of oil.
—Washington Post, 5 Oct. 2021
Noun
The dessert menu is just as backward-looking (or, more generously, classic-minded) as the savory offerings: cheesecake with a swash of berry sauce, dark chocolate pot de crème.
—Helen Rosner, The New Yorker, 30 June 2024
Other dishes were similarly transcendent: a slab of duck breast was tender and rare, with crisp skin and a dazzling swash of orange sauce.
—Helen Rosner, The New Yorker, 25 Feb. 2024
Hourglass Scattered Light Eyeshadow Hourglass’s Scattered Light Eyeshadow is a fun date night accessory thanks to a swash of sparkle that’s easy to apply: just a few dabs of product onto your eyelid, and the pearls will reflect light beautifully.
—Anamaria Glavan, Allure, 28 Sep. 2023
Some big trout are still in the swash on the beach at dawn, though this action will slow as the water continues to warm—topwaters get them.
—Frank Sargeant, al, 18 June 2021
Glow Set a travel necessity—perfect for quick makeup touch-ups, passing through TSA, or a shimmering swash of color.
—Kiana Murden, Vogue, 5 Nov. 2021
Hollywood’s history is rich with swash-buckling scenes.
—Allison Prang, WSJ, 22 Oct. 2021
Next in line are those tiny sand crabs that tickle your toes in the swash zone, where waves push up onto the sloping beachfront leaving lines of foam and clumps of oil.
—Los Angeles Times, 5 Oct. 2021
Next in line are the tiny sand crabs that tickle your toes in the swash zone, where waves push up onto the sloping beachfront leaving lines of foam and clumps of oil.
—Washington Post, 5 Oct. 2021
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'swash.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near swash
Cite this Entry
“Swash.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/swash. Accessed 8 Oct. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
swash
1 of 2 verb
ˈswäsh 
ˈswȯsh
swash
2 of 2 noun1
2
: a dashing of water against or upon something
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