SWAGGERING Synonyms: 176 Similar and Opposite Words

swaggering 1 of 2

adjective

as in cocky

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Dissimilar Words

swaggering

2 of 2

verb

present participle of swagger

as in boasting

to praise or express pride in one's own possessions, qualities, or accomplishments often to excess I, too, would swagger if I'd won first place in the bowling tournament

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in strutting

to walk with exaggerated arm and leg movements hoping to impress the women at the bar, the young man confidently swaggered across the room

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 swaggering

Adjective

The swaggering track, which sees the artists joining voices on the chorus, will get an official music video later today. — Emily Zemler, Rolling Stone, 28 Aug. 2026 Olivia Wilde plays the swaggering multidisciplinary artist Erika Tracy, whose portfolio includes a pointillist vulva composed of chewed gum, an audio loop of her own orgasm, and an enormous, Claes Oldenburg-esque sculpture of a spiked fetish collar. — Holden Seidlitz, New Yorker, 26 July 2026 Unlike the swaggering Daemon, this wounded Aemond is vulnerable. — Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 20 July 2026 The boxing ring metaphor was largely abandoned once the competition began, even though there were more opportunities to mix baseball’s tradition of walkup music with fight sports’ swaggering walkouts. — Jacob Feldman, Sportico.com, 14 July 2026 Soprano Anna Thompson sings the role of the faithful Micaëla, and Mexican baritone Raúl Morales Velazco is the swaggering toreador Escamillo. — Randy McMullen, Mercury News, 9 July 2026 The group went on to earn national and international acclaim before its swaggering leader, Country Dick Montana, died on stage midway through a 1995 show in Canada. — George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 July 2026 The clip of Cawley speaking about Marsch was used to highlight what some believe is the downside of Marsch’s swaggering attitude. — Joshua Kloke, New York Times, 24 June 2026 Lander, who became beloved by DSA members after helping Mamdani beat Cuomo, worked with the mayor’s ad team for a campaign that effectively turned them into a comedy duo — a dorky Jewish dad and a swaggering Muslim mayor, both critical of the Israeli government. — David Weigel, semafor.com, 23 June 2026

Verb

Urushadze presents a sympathetic portrait of Niaz, a man who once embodied a certain type of swaggering masculinity but now seems adrift in the modern world. — Christopher Vourlias, Variety, 21 Aug. 2026 But Marx, 61, a former Marine and expert in martial arts, is nothing if not swaggering. — Los Angeles Times, 19 July 2026 After all those swaggering herbal notes faded, tasters said Roku finished with breezy floral qualities—lavender and rose. — Sam Stone, Bon Appetit Magazine, 12 May 2026 The advertisement opened with a backside shot of a man clothed in Levi’s jeans, a western shirt and leather gloves, swaggering up to a pair of saloon doors. — Jack Armstrong, USA Today, 15 Apr. 2026 Don the swaggering employee needs to learn a lesson about gender identity. — Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 15 Mar. 2026 And Jordan's performances as Smoke and Stack are indeed confident and distinctive, not just in their different sartorial choices but in their mannerisms, with the actor excelling at portraying both Smoke's stoic practicality and Stack's swaggering charm. — Ken Simmons, Entertainment Weekly, 12 Mar. 2026 Two swaggering outlaws roll into a mining town and unleash a wave of cruelty. — Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 20 Jan. 2026 The timing of such self-reflection was notable, on the direct horizon of an AFC divisional-round matchup against a Bills team that’ll require calls-to-the-wall swaggering from Payton. — Luca Evans, Denver Post, 16 Jan. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for swaggering

Adjective

Joe Jonas as Shane Gray Since his days as the cocky but lovable Shane Gray in Camp Rock, Joe Jonas has carved out a multifaceted career.

— Allison DeGrushe, Entertainment Weekly, 13 Aug. 2026
He’s known for his cocky attitude, teaming up with fellow hero Blue Beetle and traveling with his robot companion Skeets.

— Jordan Moreau, Variety, 31 July 2026

Definition of cocky

Verb

That fine old aristocrat is a half brother to the Maharajah of Nagod, and his former prime minister, boasting the impressive name and title of Lal Sahib Lal Bhargavendra Singh.

— Leslie E. Tassell, Outdoor Life, 27 Aug. 2026
The current members are entrancing, boasting a gorgeous blend of voices and guitar.

— Classical Music Critic, Los Angeles Times, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of boasting

Verb

The single father of three made his runway debut in the Gucci 2027 Cruise show strutting in the middle of Times Square back in May.

— Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 26 Aug. 2026
Jordan is playing Ricardo Tubbs while Butler is playing James Crockett, the two swagger-strutting detectives.

— Borys Kit, HollywoodReporter, 17 Aug. 2026

Definition of strutting

Verb

Pitt receiver Tyreek Robinson’s fishing habit might never have reached Narduzzi’s attention if the Monongahela hadn’t coughed up a 5- to 6-pound bass worth bragging about.

— Ira Gorawara, New York Times, 20 Aug. 2026
That’s because Davis has spoken extensively about his role in the case, including in interviews with Los Angeles police and the media, in a 2019 tell-all book and during several bragging interviews done to promote the publication.

— Richard Winton, Los Angeles Times, 12 Aug. 2026

Definition of bragging

Verb

The most famous item is a birch-bark saddle emblazoned with a prancing horse – the design from which the tomb takes its modern name.

— The Week UK, TheWeek, 26 July 2026
Besides his frenetic and prancing stage presence and whimsical storytelling, Fleming’s HBO special was memorable for his purple bodysuit designed by Anthony Sartino, who famously created wardrobes for the late rock star Prince.

— Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 24 July 2026

Definition of prancing

Adjective

He a notoriously vain, boastful and fame-obsessed wizard well versed in Memory Charms who is recruited by Dumbledore as Professor of Defence Against the Dark Arts at Hogwarts.

— Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 24 Aug. 2026
Defense witnesses pointed to boastful teens, fireworks-like flashes and uncertain ignition points, with an expert arguing that fireworks were the likely cause and that prosecutors lack proof that a lighter sparked the blaze.

— Brittny Mejia, Los Angeles Times, 25 June 2026

Definition of boastful

Verb

Likewise, in January, Disney's former chief executive Bob Iger hinted at the park's location in an Instagram post of him striding along the beach on Yas Island.

— Caroline Reid, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026
The pair of bronzes, designed by James Earle Fraser, each features a nude male figure (one holding a book, the other a bundle of grain) striding next to a Pegasus.

— Leigh Anne Miller, ARTnews.com, 30 July 2026

Definition of striding

Browse Nearby Words

swaggerers

swaggering

swaggeringly

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Style

“Swaggering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/swaggering. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of swaggering

adjective

verb

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