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
Quinn Moreland, Pitchfork, 14 June 2026
With venom and shrewd determination, Nicholson paints his character as a swaggering monster who milks every syllable of his dialogue with vitriolic relish.
—Eric Farwell, Entertainment Weekly, 12 June 2026
New Yorkers will recall the assholic behavior of the Yankees owner George Steinbrenner, a swaggering builder of ships, who always seemed to delight in humiliating his managers and players.
—David Remnick, New Yorker, 11 June 2026
Michael Imperioli's swaggering, erratic Christopher was one of the show's most iconic characters.
—Sophie Dodd, PEOPLE, 10 June 2026
That single and its follow-up had a soft landing in the marketplace, and Lizzo re-armed herself with last year’s My Face Hurts From Smiling, a swaggering mixtape that resulted from a two-week creative burst.
—Maura Johnston, Rolling Stone, 9 June 2026
Don’t skip a visit to the rooftop deck, which affords swaggering views of the market’s massive ferris wheel, the downtown skyline, and ferries to nearby islands.
—Harry Cheadle, Bon Appetit Magazine, 27 May 2026
From Sean Connery to Timothy Dalton to Daniel Craig, there’s been many iterations of the swaggering international super spy but none that showcase his humble beginnings until now.
—Destiny Jackson, Deadline, 26 May 2026
Sandbox, their first album in more than 14 years, is a swaggering reminder of that 2000s alt-rock dominance, all the more authentic with the passing of time.
—Air Mail, 16 May 2026
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
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
Adjective
Their shows had always been wild—the music’s raw noise and Love’s swaggering stage presence inspired catharsis.
—Quinn Moreland, Pitchfork, 14 June 2026
With venom and shrewd determination, Nicholson paints his character as a swaggering monster who milks every syllable of his dialogue with vitriolic relish.
—Eric Farwell, Entertainment Weekly, 12 June 2026
New Yorkers will recall the assholic behavior of the Yankees owner George Steinbrenner, a swaggering builder of ships, who always seemed to delight in humiliating his managers and players.
—David Remnick, New Yorker, 11 June 2026
Michael Imperioli's swaggering, erratic Christopher was one of the show's most iconic characters.
—Sophie Dodd, PEOPLE, 10 June 2026
That single and its follow-up had a soft landing in the marketplace, and Lizzo re-armed herself with last year’s My Face Hurts From Smiling, a swaggering mixtape that resulted from a two-week creative burst.
—Maura Johnston, Rolling Stone, 9 June 2026
Don’t skip a visit to the rooftop deck, which affords swaggering views of the market’s massive ferris wheel, the downtown skyline, and ferries to nearby islands.
—Harry Cheadle, Bon Appetit Magazine, 27 May 2026
From Sean Connery to Timothy Dalton to Daniel Craig, there’s been many iterations of the swaggering international super spy but none that showcase his humble beginnings until now.
—Destiny Jackson, Deadline, 26 May 2026
Sandbox, their first album in more than 14 years, is a swaggering reminder of that 2000s alt-rock dominance, all the more authentic with the passing of time.
—Air Mail, 16 May 2026
Verb
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
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for swaggering
Adjective
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The two vivid soloists were tenor Anthony León as the cocky troubadour and baritone Eleomar Cuello as the cocky devil.—
Classical Music Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
9 June 2026
-
The first book follows Hannah Wells (Bright), a smart and independent music major, and Garrett Graham (Cameli), the cocky captain of the hockey team.—
Janelle Ash,
FOXNews.com,
31 May 2026
Verb
-
Canada remains a massive revenue-driver for the league, boasting three of the NHL’s four most valuable teams and generating billions in TV revenue.—
James Mirtle,
New York Times,
23 June 2026
-
Evolving from a direct-to-consumer disruptor, Mejuri is now a global brand boasting over 60 stores and millions of customers, tripling in size over five years.—
Karin Eldor,
Forbes.com,
23 June 2026
Verb
-
The crowd claps and cheers, screaming wildly when Buteau drops it rather politely before strutting with Peppermint to their seats on stage.—
CT Jones,
Rolling Stone,
23 June 2026
-
This year is yet another for the World Cup; Yu Masui and Takeji Hirakawa are still strutting their stuff, and Phil Oh, along with Acielle Tanbetova, will be documenting all the off-the-runway action.—
Irene Kim,
Vogue,
13 June 2026
Adjective
-
The show has evolved over its long tenure, but its bombastic 50th season managed to both capture the spirit of the show's origins and honor its long legacy.—
Kelly Lawler,
USA Today,
17 June 2026
-
For the 2026 edition, by far the biggest in the competition’s 96-year history, even that grandiose billing is nothing like bombastic enough.—
Oliver Kay,
New York Times,
13 June 2026
Verb
-
Elon Musk is now bragging that SpaceX will make epic investments en route to unleashing stupendous results.—
Shawn Tully,
Fortune,
19 June 2026
-
Goldberg was obsessive about using original materials, apparently bragging to neighbors about outbidding Martha Stewart on a set of tiles at auction.—
Jesse Armas,
Curbed,
16 June 2026
Verb
-
This prancing herd of wild mustangs can be spotted from the river, on a kayak or inner tube.—
Madeline Gunderson,
USA Today,
17 June 2026
-
The music video shows Rodrigo prancing around the actual Palace of Versailles, in a controversial babydoll dress singing about a boy looking like an angel on its walls.—
Hannah Abraham,
Forbes.com,
12 June 2026
Adjective
-
Chatter about Azik’s famous delens abounds, as does boastful talk about how Monica Bellucci’s family hails from the same part of Nalchik.—
David Ehrlich,
IndieWire,
13 May 2026
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Despite Netanyahu’s boastful statement, a series of nationwide polls last week found that most Israelis do not believe the US and Israel won the war against Iran.—
Dalia Abdelwahab,
CNN Money,
11 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Before Kaia Gerber and Olivia Rodrigo became inseparable from their Repetto ballet pumps, Gainsbourg was striding around in the brand’s lace-up Zizi style–now the shoe of choice for art school girls (and a certain Marc Jacobs).—
Olivia Allen,
Vogue,
4 June 2026
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At the French Open Tuesday, the four-time Grand Slam champion staged an outfit reveal once again, striding out for her first-round match against Germany’s Laura Siegemund wearing a black corset and matching pleated, cascading skirt that skimmed over the clay.—
Ava Wallace,
New York Times,
28 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Swaggering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/swaggering. Accessed 24 Jun. 2026.
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