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swift

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adverb

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective swift contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of swift are expeditious, fast, fleet, hasty, quick, rapid, and speedy. While all these words mean "moving, proceeding, or acting with celerity," swift suggests great rapidity coupled with ease of movement.

returned the ball with one swift stroke

When can expeditious be used instead of swift?

The words expeditious and swift are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, expeditious suggests efficiency together with rapidity of accomplishment.

the expeditious handling of an order

How are the words fast and rapid related as synonyms of swift?

Both fast and rapid are very close in meaning, but fast applies particularly to the thing that moves.

fast horses

When would fleet be a good substitute for swift?

The synonyms fleet and swift are sometimes interchangeable, but fleet adds the implication of lightness and nimbleness.

fleet runners

When is hasty a more appropriate choice than swift?

The meanings of hasty and swift largely overlap; however, hasty suggests hurry and precipitousness and often connotes carelessness.

a hasty inspection

In what contexts can quick take the place of swift?

Although the words quick and swift have much in common, quick suggests promptness and the taking of little time.

a quick wit

Where would rapid be a reasonable alternative to swift?

In some situations, the words rapid and swift are roughly equivalent. However, rapid applies to the movement itself, rather than to the thing that moves.

rapid current

When could speedy be used to replace swift?

While the synonyms speedy and swift are close in meaning, speedy implies quickness of successful accomplishment and may also suggest unusual velocity.

speedy delivery of mail

Examples 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 swift
Adjective
Her swift release represents a diplomatic win for Meloni, who had feared the case could drag on for weeks. Reuters, NBC News, 8 Jan. 2025 The Chrisley family, once ratings gold, has faced legal trouble in recent years After a rapid rise to fame for TV's Chrisley family with ratings gold, their swift downfall followed. Jay Stahl, USA TODAY, 8 Jan. 2025
Adverb
As of Monday, Golden Police Chief Bill Kilpatrick and Jefferson County Sheriff Jeff Schrader are restricting water activities on Clear Creek because of swift-moving water and floating debris. Kirk Mitchell, The Denver Post, 1 July 2019 By The Numbers 5 The forecast for Colorado’s 2019 whitewater rafting season: Rad, thanks to epic snowfall this winter that will likely spell swift-moving rivers. Joe Nguyen, The Denver Post, 19 June 2019 See all Example Sentences for swift 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for swift
Adjective
  • Property taxes have skyrocketed with the rapid uptick in home values and home insurance has significantly outpaced inflation as severe weather becomes more common and destructive, increasing rates across the board as insurers spread the risk throughout their pool of clients.
    Austin Denean, Baltimore Sun, 17 Jan. 2025
  • Nearly 100,000 people were forced to flee in what remains the largest, most rapid single-day evacuation in the history of modern fire.
    CBS News, CBS News, 17 Jan. 2025
Adverb
  • High humidity accelerates mold growth, while low humidity can cause your bread to become stale or dry out quicker.
    Katie Rosenhouse, Southern Living, 11 Jan. 2025
  • Catch up quick on Richmond There was brief hope of the water being back early Wednesday when 13 of the city water plant's 20 filters were in operation, plus two of eight pumps.
    Sabrina Moreno, Axios, 8 Jan. 2025
Adjective
  • Their brisk, lively, and skeptical history of subversion starts with ancient times, stops off in early modern Europe before moving on to recent centuries, and ends with a look forward.
    Foreign Affairs, Foreign Affairs, 14 Jan. 2025
  • Muscle strengthening is still an important way to reach your physical activity requirements for optimal bone and muscle health, and walking (especially a brisk walk) is a great supplemental activity. — AVIV JOSHUA, MS, MEDICAL EXPERT BOARD 2.
    Sarah Jividen, Verywell Health, 10 Jan. 2025
Adjective
  • It can also be used for fast and easy treatment for a variety of conditions including the flu, a UTI and more.
    Karen Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 10 Jan. 2025
  • The human brain processes thoughts four times faster than the average person speaks, meaning our minds naturally wander during conversations.
    Tyler Shepherd, USA TODAY, 10 Jan. 2025
Adverb
  • The fire started out small, but swiftly engulfed their entire building.
    Catherine E. Shoichet, CNN, 15 Jan. 2025
  • And Transparently The best course of action is to respond swiftly and transparently.
    Expert Panel®, Forbes, 15 Jan. 2025
Adverb
  • Combs, Carter and an unnamed female celebrity allegedly entered the room soon after, according to her complaint.
    Cheyenne Roundtree, Rolling Stone, 8 Jan. 2025
  • Trump has pledged to carry out several anti-trans policies on day one of his presidency or soon after being sworn in.
    Orion Rummler, Them, 8 Jan. 2025

Thesaurus Entries Near swift

Cite this Entry

“Swift.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/swift. Accessed 20 Jan. 2025.

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