1
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in increases
to become greater in extent, volume, amount, or number
the club membership has really swelled in recent months
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in expands
to make greater in size, amount, or number
more layoffs will swell the ranks of the unemployed to unprecedented levels
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in protrudes
to extend outward beyond a usual point
at that point the Congo River swells and forms Malebo Pool
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of swells
Gabrielle Rockson, PEOPLE, 19 May 2026
Jan Jansen, captured on the swells of the Atlantic by Muslim pirates, left behind a wife and four daughters in his native Haarlem.
—Literary Hub, 14 May 2026
The most harrowing experience of the crew’s Pacific crossing came a few days into the row when huge swells brought seasickness and harsh conditions.
—Patrick Connolly, The Orlando Sentinel, 27 Apr. 2026
Less than a day earlier, astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen had been plucked from 3-foot swells by helicopters and transported them roughly one mile to the USS Murtha.
—Gary Robbins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 Apr. 2026
Only the swells from the clusters of UConn fans could be heard by the end of their 71-62 victory in the national semifinals.
—Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 5 Apr. 2026
Only 2200 of them remain, having staved off swells of economic uncertainty, retaining their Irish accents and ways of life.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 Apr. 2026
When combined with mega high tides and big swells, waves may batter beaches, causing severe erosion.
—Laylan Connelly, Oc Register, 27 Mar. 2026
But rather than big Hawaiian swells, these waves were the crashing sounds of social media users poking fun at the look of the upcoming Disney film.
—Angelique Jackson, Variety, 26 Mar. 2026
Anne Olivia Bauso, Travel + Leisure, 21 May 2026
Throughout, visiting tourist Madeleine (Kristen Stewart) stuffs her face with every kind of meat, vegetable and carb while her father Phil (Woody Harrelson) is the one whose stomach miraculously swells.
—Leslie Felperin, HollywoodReporter, 17 May 2026
Buffett recently acknowledged displeasure with the investing backdrop as Berkshire's cash hoard swells to a record nearing $400 billion.
—Yun Li, CNBC, 15 May 2026
During the expedition’s first ten days, the ship navigated a strong storm, with ocean swells reaching two to three metres.
—Akash Kapur, New Yorker, 12 May 2026
The guilt swells and swells while the sweater sits and sits.
—Liana Satenstein, Vogue, 8 May 2026
As the orchestra swells, a voice slowly surfaces.
—Ben Cardew, Pitchfork, 2 May 2026
Backlash swells to Russia web crackdown Public backlash is growing in Russia in response to Moscow’s efforts to tighten control over the internet.
—Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson, semafor.com, 30 Apr. 2026
With each passing year, the sentimental value only swells.
—Maddie Connors, Los Angeles Times, 28 Apr. 2026
Noun
Weather conditions at the time were severe, with high winds and rough swells of more than 13 feet.
—Gabrielle Rockson, PEOPLE, 19 May 2026
Jan Jansen, captured on the swells of the Atlantic by Muslim pirates, left behind a wife and four daughters in his native Haarlem.
—Literary Hub, 14 May 2026
The most harrowing experience of the crew’s Pacific crossing came a few days into the row when huge swells brought seasickness and harsh conditions.
—Patrick Connolly, The Orlando Sentinel, 27 Apr. 2026
Less than a day earlier, astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen had been plucked from 3-foot swells by helicopters and transported them roughly one mile to the USS Murtha.
—Gary Robbins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 Apr. 2026
Only the swells from the clusters of UConn fans could be heard by the end of their 71-62 victory in the national semifinals.
—Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 5 Apr. 2026
Only 2200 of them remain, having staved off swells of economic uncertainty, retaining their Irish accents and ways of life.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 Apr. 2026
When combined with mega high tides and big swells, waves may batter beaches, causing severe erosion.
—Laylan Connelly, Oc Register, 27 Mar. 2026
But rather than big Hawaiian swells, these waves were the crashing sounds of social media users poking fun at the look of the upcoming Disney film.
—Angelique Jackson, Variety, 26 Mar. 2026
Verb
The beach town swells with visitors in the summer, though surfers flock here any time of year for the classic surf break Plage de Lafitenia and big waves surf spot Belharra.
—Anne Olivia Bauso, Travel + Leisure, 21 May 2026
Throughout, visiting tourist Madeleine (Kristen Stewart) stuffs her face with every kind of meat, vegetable and carb while her father Phil (Woody Harrelson) is the one whose stomach miraculously swells.
—Leslie Felperin, HollywoodReporter, 17 May 2026
Buffett recently acknowledged displeasure with the investing backdrop as Berkshire's cash hoard swells to a record nearing $400 billion.
—Yun Li, CNBC, 15 May 2026
During the expedition’s first ten days, the ship navigated a strong storm, with ocean swells reaching two to three metres.
—Akash Kapur, New Yorker, 12 May 2026
The guilt swells and swells while the sweater sits and sits.
—Liana Satenstein, Vogue, 8 May 2026
As the orchestra swells, a voice slowly surfaces.
—Ben Cardew, Pitchfork, 2 May 2026
Backlash swells to Russia web crackdown Public backlash is growing in Russia in response to Moscow’s efforts to tighten control over the internet.
—Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson, semafor.com, 30 Apr. 2026
With each passing year, the sentimental value only swells.
—Maddie Connors, Los Angeles Times, 28 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for swells
Noun
-
The former household may be able to retire at age 73, while the latter may do so at age 57, according to his projections.—
Greg Iacurci,
CNBC,
24 May 2026
-
The industry has not met its multi-billion-dollar projections.—
Michael Goldstein,
Forbes.com,
24 May 2026
Noun
-
Executives are being asked to approve continuous waves of transformation without a clear line of sight into what genuinely improves performance and what merely adds complexity.—
Kim Bozzella,
Forbes.com,
26 May 2026
-
In those places, the slow conveyor belt of the deep may occasionally give way to something more volatile, building islands that briefly rise above the surface before waves grind them back again.—
Quanta Magazine,
Quanta Magazine,
26 May 2026
Verb
-
The chance of rain increases a bit during the beginning of next workweek.—
Cutter Martin,
CBS News,
27 May 2026
-
In such environments, adding more dashboards increases cognitive load rather than clarity.—
Krupesh Bhat,
Forbes.com,
27 May 2026
Verb
-
The film expands Haig’s play and includes additional characters and sequences, including the actual D-day invasion.—
Emily Zemler,
Los Angeles Times,
29 May 2026
-
And yet as the series expands from and twists around its simple horror concept (a wedding at the groom-to-be’s family house in the woods is fated for a titular dark catastrophe), Morrone’s performance as Rachel is able to shoulder the weight of quite a bit of backstory and a complicated endgame.—
Joe Reid,
Vulture,
29 May 2026
Verb
-
These are more likely to cause painless rectal bleeding or tissue that protrudes during a bowel movement.—
Tom Gavin,
EverydayHealth.com,
29 Apr. 2026
-
Part of it protrudes from the exterior, with natural airflow helping keep the food inside chilled.—
Adam Williams
March 29,
New Atlas,
29 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
It’s made from a four-way stretch fabric that shapes, smoothes, and minimizes bumps or bulges that may show through your T-shirt.—
Stephanie Osmanski,
Better Homes & Gardens,
20 May 2026
-
Scientists usually expect the central bulges of elliptical galaxies to form rapidly and thus be dominated by low-mass stars.—
Robert Lea,
Space.com,
14 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Essential safety tips for heavy rain When heavy rain sets in, the risk of flooding and hazardous driving conditions rises.—
Bay Area Weather Report,
Mercury News,
27 May 2026
-
More than fifty meters tall, the monument rises abruptly above the banks of the river Ancre, a tributary of the Somme.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
27 May 2026
Verb
-
The compounding accelerates in year three.—
Jodie Cook,
Forbes.com,
27 May 2026
-
The plan raises questions about training, cost and safety, risks further militarizing daily life, and signals mounting strain on Russia’s conventional air defenses as Ukraine accelerates drone innovation.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
27 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Swells.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/swells. Accessed 30 May. 2026.
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