SWELLS Synonyms: 189 Similar and Opposite Words

swells 1 of 2

noun

plural of swell

as in projections

a part that sticks out from the general mass of something the graceful swell of the bottle was meant to be evocative of the female figure

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as in waves

a moving ridge on the surface of water huge swells overwhelmed the tiny craft

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swells

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of swell

as in increases

to become greater in extent, volume, amount, or number the club membership has really swelled in recent months

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as in expands

to make greater in size, amount, or number more layoffs will swell the ranks of the unemployed to unprecedented levels

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as in protrudes

to extend outward beyond a usual point at that point the Congo River swells and forms Malebo Pool

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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 swells

Noun

Life-threatening swells and rip currents are possible along east- and south-facing shores. — Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 22 Aug. 2026 Additionally, life-threatening surf and rip currents are expected from swells generated by the depression. — Marshall Shepherd, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026 The weather service said waves are at normal levels, with the swells that caused hazards earlier this summer no longer in play. — Rick Hurd, Mercury News, 21 Aug. 2026 During heavy winter swells, waves 20 to 30 feet high can slam against the cliffs. — Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 18 Aug. 2026 Experts have long said Southern California’s sand predominantly migrates south; however, a closer look shows that slow summer swells and other seasonal conditions sometimes push smaller amounts of sediment north. — Phil Diehl, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 Aug. 2026 All bus services in the city were canceled, authorities said, while ferry services between New Zealand’s North and South islands were suspended because of strong winds and heavy swells. — Reuters, NBC news, 5 Aug. 2026 O’Shea said the El Niño pattern, combined with swells, could produce elevated surf throughout the summer. — Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 1 Aug. 2026 The hurricane center said swells generated by Fausto could cause life-threatening surf and rip tides in parts of southern California. — ABC News, 24 July 2026

Verb

While the hurricane is not expected to make landfall, swells created by the hurricane could affect the coast of southwest Mexico and Baja California, as well as Southern California, per the National Hurricane Center. — Julia Gomez, USA Today, 31 Aug. 2026 While Karina was expected to stay well away from land, swells from the storm were likely to cause dangerous surf and rip current conditions along parts of southwest Mexico and the Baja California Peninsula, the hurricane center said. — ABC News, 30 Aug. 2026 In her twenties, the compositions began to rise and fall on the page like ocean swells. — Laura Preston, New Yorker, 30 Aug. 2026 Out over the eastern Pacific ocean, the mixture is leading to a rise in the ocean swells, and that could affect the region by the weekend. — Rick Hurd, Mercury News, 24 Aug. 2026 Video shared by the navy shows a large turquoise box with the two men inside bobbing in dark ocean swells as rescue crews move in. — Diego Mendoza, CNN Money, 21 Aug. 2026 Loose rocks, chunks of concrete and rusted metal are among the items that have emerged as powerful storm swells remove layers of sand along Newport Beach. — Ruben Vives, Los Angeles Times, 18 Aug. 2026 Storm surge, swells and large waves will also be significant hazards irrespective of landfall. — Marshall Shepherd, Forbes.com, 15 Aug. 2026 At closest approach the planet swells in apparent size, revealing dark surface markings, polar ice caps and occasional dust storms. — Damian Peach, Space.com, 13 Aug. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for swells

Noun

The 70% preliminary expectation wildly exceeded projections for fiscal 2028 revenue of roughly $570 billion, or 44% growth from fiscal 2027 (the current year).

— Amanda Gerut, Fortune, 27 Aug. 2026
Autodesk – The maker of 3D design software slid 5% after its earnings projections disappointed Wall Street.

— Alex Harring, CNBC, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of projections

Noun

The Iranian diaspora spans multiple generations and waves of exile, from those who left after the 1979 revolution to more recent arrivals who fled crackdowns and protest movements.

— Julia Vargas Jones, CNN Money, 29 Aug. 2026
Made for pretty much every texture, the airy foam gives fine-to-medium hair body without weighing it down, while helping define and smooth thicker waves and curls without sacrificing movement.

— Christa Joanna Lee, Allure, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of waves

Verb

The event comes as China expands its robotics industry and competes to establish leadership in humanoid and autonomous machines, with more than 2,000 robots from 16 countries also taking part in the 2026 World Humanoid Robot Games.

— Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 23 Aug. 2026
Now about 5½ months old, Crimson is thriving on three legs, quickly returning to playful, curious cub behavior as the Oakland Zoo expands its track record of rescuing orphaned mountain lions.

— Jasmine Mendez Follow, Los Angeles Times, 23 Aug. 2026

Definition of expands

Verb

Anything that protrudes above the shallow, insulating snow cover is more prone to being damaged by the cold and wind or eaten by wildlife, said plant ecologist Anne Bjorkman of the University of Gothenburg in Sweden.

— ABC News, ABC News, 25 Aug. 2026
Other animals on-site include a stable full of horses and Cowboy the tortoise, who is about the size of a lawnmower and whose head protrudes from what looks like a Venus flytrap made of bone.

— Emma Madden, Los Angeles Times, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of protrudes

Noun

During matches earlier this year, bulges could be seen in the shoulder seams on jerseys for teams including France and Uruguay, the Guardian reported.

— Claire Rush, Fortune, 28 June 2026
Galactic bulges tend to be the oldest parts of galaxies, forming billions of years before the disks, at least in the Milky Way's case.

— Keith Cooper, Space.com, 22 June 2026