as in sailors
one who operates or navigates a seagoing vessel
old swabs swapping sea stories as they spend their last days in the veterans' home
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Recent Examples of swabs
Nick Ferraro, Twin Cities, 27 May 2026
Prosecutors said a rape kit collected during Kepner’s autopsy included vaginal swabs that tested positive for male DNA, and one swab also tested positive for sperm.
—Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, FOXNews.com, 27 May 2026
Two labs in the Netherlands processed Kornfeld’s swabs; one lab reported a negative result, and the other reported a faint positive.
—Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 15 May 2026
To identify the closest possible match, genetic material extracted from the remains was compared with Y-chromosome DNA, as well as mitochondrial DNA that is only passed on by females within the maternal line, in the cheek swabs provided by descendants.
—Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 12 May 2026
She was transported to a hospital, and vaginal swabs were collected for DNA evidence.
—Charlotte Observer, 29 Apr. 2026
Four health workers went door to door with suitcases full of swabs and vials.
—Chris Bowling, ProPublica, 15 Apr. 2026
In response to one question, Duross noted that the UV light used doesn’t show the specific type of bodily fluids that are present, and that is determined when the evidence swabs are tested at the lab.
—Amy McDaniel, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 10 Apr. 2026
The kit included taking swabs for DNA.
—Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 3 Apr. 2026
Noun
Fingerprints lifted off the window matched 25-year-old Eduart Gomez Ochoa, as did DNA swabs from the teen’s foot and a winter hat the suspect left behind, according to a criminal complaint filed against him Tuesday in Ramsey County District Court.
—Nick Ferraro, Twin Cities, 27 May 2026
Prosecutors said a rape kit collected during Kepner’s autopsy included vaginal swabs that tested positive for male DNA, and one swab also tested positive for sperm.
—Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, FOXNews.com, 27 May 2026
Two labs in the Netherlands processed Kornfeld’s swabs; one lab reported a negative result, and the other reported a faint positive.
—Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 15 May 2026
To identify the closest possible match, genetic material extracted from the remains was compared with Y-chromosome DNA, as well as mitochondrial DNA that is only passed on by females within the maternal line, in the cheek swabs provided by descendants.
—Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 12 May 2026
She was transported to a hospital, and vaginal swabs were collected for DNA evidence.
—Charlotte Observer, 29 Apr. 2026
Four health workers went door to door with suitcases full of swabs and vials.
—Chris Bowling, ProPublica, 15 Apr. 2026
In response to one question, Duross noted that the UV light used doesn’t show the specific type of bodily fluids that are present, and that is determined when the evidence swabs are tested at the lab.
—Amy McDaniel, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 10 Apr. 2026
The kit included taking swabs for DNA.
—Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 3 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for swabs
Noun
-
Docked nearby is the USS Kearsarge, an amphibious assault ship home to nearly 3,000 sailors and Marines during deployment, including about 1,250 sailors and 1,800 Marines.—
Sarah Alegre,
FOXNews.com,
31 May 2026
-
However, the Aussies pushed the boat a little too hard, nosediving hard into the Hudson, a sudden stop that didn’t cause any injury to the sailors but resulted in damage to the front crossbeam and port-side foil case.—
Andrew Rice,
New York Times,
31 May 2026
Noun
-
The system, called WhaleSpotter, scans the bay around the clock for whale blows and heat signatures up to 2 nautical miles away, alerting mariners to slow down or reroute when whales are nearby.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
20 May 2026
-
For casual mariners like me, an increasing number of small ships are now incorporating sails both for ambiance and fuel efficiency.—
Jane Woolridge,
Condé Nast Traveler,
19 May 2026
Verb
-
Bryce Harper, star slugger, the Phillie Phanatic's best friend, and baseball hero to children of all ages, brushes his teeth.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
28 May 2026
-
These stocks have climbed for weeks as the market brushes off the narrative that AI is a threat to the cybersecurity industry.—
Morgan Chittum,Matthew J. Belvedere,
CNBC,
27 May 2026
Noun
-
The company draws on clinical, claims, and behavioral data to identify patients at risk and coordinates support with care navigators, clinical outreach, and palliative care between visits.—
Ellen Sheng,
CNBC,
19 May 2026
-
The same thing happened in the region last year during the 12-day war between Israel and Iran and has also troubled vessel navigators in the Baltic Sea.—
The Week UK,
TheWeek,
13 May 2026
Verb
-
Plus, its self-cleaning function rinses the brushroll after each use and dumps the debris into the dirt tank.—
Sian Babish,
PEOPLE,
5 Apr. 2026
-
Moisture is why LaMarita never rinses cauliflower before tucking it into the crisper.—
Randi Gollin,
Martha Stewart,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
After his teenage son goes missing, Daniel combs the depths of the Vistula River day and night, caught in a grueling, endless routine and torn between the dread of a fatal leap and the fragile hope that his son may still be alive.—
Matthew Carey,
Deadline,
6 May 2026
-
Zayas also combs through the dark web, a criminal haven on the internet where anonymous threat actors try to cause real-world harm.—
Heather Abbott,
CBS News,
2 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Prime lips for a perfectly smooth, even application using the 3-in-1 Lip Scrub pen, which gently scrubs away dead skin with super-fine sugar granules and keeps lips hydrated with nourishing shea butter and algae.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
19 May 2026
-
Anti-dictatorship, but for kids Serkis scrubs the story of its violence, at least in any graphic manner.—
Clare Mulroy,
USA Today,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Snow sometimes dusts the surrounding slopes, melting by afternoon into damp earth as manzanita and mountain lilac begin to flower.—
Josh Jackson,
Los Angeles Times,
7 Apr. 2026
-
To demonstrate, Ejae smiles to form creases below her eyes, then dusts some brown powder onto the area.—
Jenny Berg,
Vogue,
27 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Swabs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/swabs. Accessed 3 Jun. 2026.
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