1
as in affected
to act upon (a person or a person's feelings) so as to cause a response
how can you not be swayed by that precious kitten, meowing as if to say, "Please take me home with you?"
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in lurched
to make a series of unsteady side-to-side motions
the way the ski lift was swaying in the wind made me nervous
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in ruled
archaic
to exercise authority or power over
an epic novel set in the days when Rome swayed the Western world
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in influenced
Related Words
Dissimilar 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 swayed
Tom Huddleston Jr., CNBC, 18 Aug. 2025
Business executives, at least some, are less swayed by the hype and more level-headed about the costs and benefits of using AI.
—Shivaram Rajgopal, Forbes.com, 17 Aug. 2025
Gabriel Shahin, Forbes.com, 11 Sep. 2025
Nor was the judge swayed by prosecutors’ arguments that Fernandes Anderson’s actions since her arrest and federal indictment last December, conviction in May, and resignation in July, were indicative of a lack of proper remorse on the former councilor’s part.
—Gayla Cawley, Boston Herald, 7 Sep. 2025
The Commission was swayed by Clattenburg’s expertise, saying that his view of the incidents was of greater import than Jackson’s.
—Philip Buckingham, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2025
Elite players, like elite coaches, are often swayed by the highest bidder.
—Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 31 Aug. 2025
The Bethune-Cookman band, known as the Marching Wildcats, played and swayed all night long.
—Walter Villa, Miami Herald, 30 Aug. 2025
The beam swayed and tipped my head toward the cars below.
—Rose Evans, Idaho Statesman, 29 Aug. 2025
August gains European markets have had a broadly negative week, swayed by French political drama, questions over Fed independence and earnings from chip giant Nvidia.
—Jenni Reid, CNBC, 29 Aug. 2025
Sometimes described as a populist, Zelensky is often swayed by polling, and on issues such as negotiations with Russia and dealing with the United States and Europe, he has generally been aligned with mainstream Ukrainian opinion.
—Nataliya Gumenyuk, Foreign Affairs, 29 Aug. 2025
Verb
When betting on a startup’s future potential, Graham is typically more swayed by his impression of its founders than the idea behind their business, the co-founder of startup accelerator Y Combinator wrote in a series of posts on social media platform X on August 10.
—Tom Huddleston Jr., CNBC, 18 Aug. 2025
Business executives, at least some, are less swayed by the hype and more level-headed about the costs and benefits of using AI.
—Shivaram Rajgopal, Forbes.com, 17 Aug. 2025
Adjective
This ensures our advice is unbiased and always in our clients’ best interest, not swayed by potential commissions or emotional market reactions.
—Gabriel Shahin, Forbes.com, 11 Sep. 2025
Nor was the judge swayed by prosecutors’ arguments that Fernandes Anderson’s actions since her arrest and federal indictment last December, conviction in May, and resignation in July, were indicative of a lack of proper remorse on the former councilor’s part.
—Gayla Cawley, Boston Herald, 7 Sep. 2025
The Commission was swayed by Clattenburg’s expertise, saying that his view of the incidents was of greater import than Jackson’s.
—Philip Buckingham, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2025
Elite players, like elite coaches, are often swayed by the highest bidder.
—Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 31 Aug. 2025
The Bethune-Cookman band, known as the Marching Wildcats, played and swayed all night long.
—Walter Villa, Miami Herald, 30 Aug. 2025
The beam swayed and tipped my head toward the cars below.
—Rose Evans, Idaho Statesman, 29 Aug. 2025
August gains European markets have had a broadly negative week, swayed by French political drama, questions over Fed independence and earnings from chip giant Nvidia.
—Jenni Reid, CNBC, 29 Aug. 2025
Sometimes described as a populist, Zelensky is often swayed by polling, and on issues such as negotiations with Russia and dealing with the United States and Europe, he has generally been aligned with mainstream Ukrainian opinion.
—Nataliya Gumenyuk, Foreign Affairs, 29 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for swayed
Verb
-
The two are friends, which might have influenced the scheduling of this game.—
Jim Alexander,
Oc Register,
7 Sep. 2025
-
He was further influenced after learning that the FBI often calls on priests, rabbis and other clergy members to counsel victims at mass-casualty events.—
Bryan Alexander,
USA Today,
5 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Stripped of a reliable majority, Macron's governments have lurched from one showdown to the next.—
Gabe Whisnant,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 Sep. 2025
-
As bystanders watched, the luxury yacht lurched to one side, tilting dangerously before taking on water.—
Emma Bussey,
FOXNews.com,
4 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Weisman's cause of death is listed as multiple injuries from being struck by a train and the manner was ruled an accident.—
Jillian Frankel,
PEOPLE,
9 Sep. 2025
-
Courts have consistently ruled that failure to comply with substantiation rules leads to disallowance, no matter how genuine the donation.—
Matthew F. Erskine,
Forbes.com,
9 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Biden’s autopen signature was used to issue major clemency orders in the final two months of his term that affected more than 4,000 individuals, including drug offenders and those placed on home confinement during the COVID-19 pandemic.—
Lauren Green,
The Washington Examiner,
9 Sep. 2025
-
The airport also confirmed that colleagues would remain on-site late into the night to assist those affected.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
8 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The murder, which rocked the quiet neighborhood and haunted those who loved Leslie, remained unsolved for over two decades.—
Claire Lempert,
ABC News,
12 Sep. 2025
-
Once again, a shooting with multiple victims has rocked Colorado – this time at a high school in Evergreen.—
Ray Sanchez,
CNN Money,
11 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Then under Nazi Germany, cave research fell under the purview of the Schutzstaffel (SS), the political paramilitary force governed by Heinrich Himmler.—
Danny Robb,
JSTOR Daily,
12 Sep. 2025
-
Importantly, the governed have consented to being governed and to live by the laws of the land.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
11 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Some legal experts aren’t convinced.—
Jennifer Jolly,
USA Today,
14 Sep. 2025
-
Rakofsky said on Friday the deputies and their union remain convinced the process was flawed from the outset.—
Milena Malaver,
Miami Herald,
12 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Foster remembered a show Chee produced at a Western Pyrotechnic Association convention that impressed even the most experienced pyrotechnicians.—
Jake Goodrick,
Sacbee.com,
12 Sep. 2025
-
Kate removed her suit jacket, donned an apron, and then — in a move that impressed many — effortlessly tied back her long hair without the use of a band, pin or clip.—
Meredith Kile,
People.com,
11 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Swayed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/swayed. Accessed 14 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share