as in cocky
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1
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
2
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
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Recent Examples of swaggering
Devon Ivie, Vulture, 19 Mar. 2026
With her friend Danielle Siggerud, an architect based in Copenhagen, Calderone and her team at Studio Athena Calderone made respectful updates to the swaggering floor plan.
—Sarah Medford, Architectural Digest, 10 Mar. 2026
During the show’s wildly popular first season, Robby was treated as a swaggering, tortured heartthrob by the viewers who turned this HBO Max original into an Emmy-winning success.
—Esther Zuckerman, Vanity Fair, 20 Feb. 2026
Dane and the Grey’s writers gradually transformed Mark from a hot, swaggering jerk into a guy loved enough to have the hospital renamed after him (and his equally doomed love, Lexie Grey, played by Chyler Leigh) when the character died.
—Rick Porter, HollywoodReporter, 20 Feb. 2026
Nor are the stars the coaches, though both the Seahawks’ second-year coach Mike Macdonald and Mike Vrabel in his first with the Patriots have shown their swaggering talent.
—Dave Hyde, Sun Sentinel, 7 Feb. 2026
But the dudes can take a victory lap today, celebrating the nomination of Joseph Kosinski’s swaggering, vroom-vroom sports movie.
—Glenn Whipp, Los Angeles Times, 22 Jan. 2026
Decades later, times may have changed, but the appeal of that swaggering style endures.
—Mark Ellwood, Robb Report, 20 Jan. 2026
And her co-stars—Jacob Elordi as a brooding Heathcliff, Alison Oliver as an angelic Isabella Linton, Hong Chau as a steely Nelly Dean, and Shazad Latif as a swaggering Edgar Linton—would also be subverting our expectations.
—Radhika Seth, Vogue, 10 Jan. 2026
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
This skinny kid from Norman, Oklahoma, swaggering up and down the court.
—Tyler Estep, AJC.com, 9 Jan. 2026
Die a hero, or live long enough to become Gen Z’s swaggering grandfather.
—Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 28 Dec. 2025
Katy Perry was swaggering about in a garish new hat.
—Bethy Squires, Vulture, 28 Nov. 2025
Oscar Isaac‘s Victor Frankenstein is part 18th-century dandy and part swaggering Swinging Sixties rock star, as if Lord Byron had been genetically spliced with Brian Jones.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 9 Sep. 2025
Adjective
Chris Robinson is a bit bemused at the idea of a column being dedicated to legacy musicians, even if his own band, the Black Crowes, released their swaggering debut album 36 years ago and are now eligible for induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
—Devon Ivie, Vulture, 19 Mar. 2026
With her friend Danielle Siggerud, an architect based in Copenhagen, Calderone and her team at Studio Athena Calderone made respectful updates to the swaggering floor plan.
—Sarah Medford, Architectural Digest, 10 Mar. 2026
During the show’s wildly popular first season, Robby was treated as a swaggering, tortured heartthrob by the viewers who turned this HBO Max original into an Emmy-winning success.
—Esther Zuckerman, Vanity Fair, 20 Feb. 2026
Dane and the Grey’s writers gradually transformed Mark from a hot, swaggering jerk into a guy loved enough to have the hospital renamed after him (and his equally doomed love, Lexie Grey, played by Chyler Leigh) when the character died.
—Rick Porter, HollywoodReporter, 20 Feb. 2026
Nor are the stars the coaches, though both the Seahawks’ second-year coach Mike Macdonald and Mike Vrabel in his first with the Patriots have shown their swaggering talent.
—Dave Hyde, Sun Sentinel, 7 Feb. 2026
But the dudes can take a victory lap today, celebrating the nomination of Joseph Kosinski’s swaggering, vroom-vroom sports movie.
—Glenn Whipp, Los Angeles Times, 22 Jan. 2026
Decades later, times may have changed, but the appeal of that swaggering style endures.
—Mark Ellwood, Robb Report, 20 Jan. 2026
And her co-stars—Jacob Elordi as a brooding Heathcliff, Alison Oliver as an angelic Isabella Linton, Hong Chau as a steely Nelly Dean, and Shazad Latif as a swaggering Edgar Linton—would also be subverting our expectations.
—Radhika Seth, Vogue, 10 Jan. 2026
Verb
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
This skinny kid from Norman, Oklahoma, swaggering up and down the court.
—Tyler Estep, AJC.com, 9 Jan. 2026
Die a hero, or live long enough to become Gen Z’s swaggering grandfather.
—Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 28 Dec. 2025
Katy Perry was swaggering about in a garish new hat.
—Bethy Squires, Vulture, 28 Nov. 2025
Oscar Isaac‘s Victor Frankenstein is part 18th-century dandy and part swaggering Swinging Sixties rock star, as if Lord Byron had been genetically spliced with Brian Jones.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 9 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for swaggering
Adjective
-
Many of them had a cocky attitude, even after their fathers were killed.—
Marta Balaga,
Variety,
26 Mar. 2026
-
The final movement starts off with a timpani riff, which triggers a cocky dance that invokes Peterson’s high-speed fingers, shooting off at Road Runner pace.—
Justin Davidson,
Vulture,
3 Mar. 2026
Verb
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This model is also the brand’s most durable yet, boasting an extreme IP69 rating for water and dust resistance, paired with a versatile triple 50MP camera system that captures professional-grade detail across wide, ultra-wide, and telephoto shots.—
Juhi Wadia,
PC Magazine,
31 Mar. 2026
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The petition is currently open for anyone to sign, at press time boasting more than 4,000 signatures.—
Hannah Dailey,
Billboard,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
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But between strutting around like a rock god, Michael presented nuanced and sophisticated looks at lust.—
Jed Gottlieb,
Boston Herald,
26 Mar. 2026
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Make your way to our festival headquarters before the screenings begin, strutting through the French Quarter in style behind a demonic brass band, creepy characters both familiar and unknown, and you.—
William Earl,
Variety,
25 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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The three-minute-plus earworm is more of a bombastic wakeup call than a nursery rhyme.—
Jae-Ha Kim,
Rolling Stone,
25 Mar. 2026
-
Doucette's bombastic proclamation was vindicated in his standout performance, earning tournament MVP honors.—
Jim Reineking,
USA Today,
23 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Dick’s friend was bragging about his kid’s academic prowess.—
Patrick Saunders,
Denver Post,
27 Mar. 2026
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The contributors grabbing the raciest headlines of late have been women bragging about sleeping with scores of men.—
Theresa Braine,
New York Daily News,
23 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The Aztecs won 89-86 before an electric home crowd on a night that had 12 ties and 11 lead changes and seemed like five against six sometimes with the way UNLV coach Josh Pastner was prancing around the floor in a suit and tie while the ball was in play.—
Mark Zeigler,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
7 Mar. 2026
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In the album’s most beautiful moments, Triplin makes arpeggios sound like prancing through an earthly paradise and sands off juke’s rough edges to produce rhythms that seem to chug along in the margins of a daydreaming brain.—
Kiana Mickles,
Pitchfork,
5 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The two boastful half-brothers clashed and split.—
Gail Sheehy,
Vanity Fair,
20 Feb. 2026
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Over time, some officers showed a boastful disdain for parts of the population they were expected to protect.—
Rob Picheta,
CNN Money,
7 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Nude, striding statues of young men called kouroi were used both as offerings to the gods and as grave markers.—
Anna Swartwood House,
The Conversation,
2 Mar. 2026
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Mercury is striding into your public 10th house, boosting your visibility and encouraging you to offer updates that show your strengths without oversharing.—
Tarot.com,
New York Daily News,
6 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Swaggering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/swaggering. Accessed 3 Apr. 2026.
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