switch 1 of 2

1
as in to swap
to give up (something) and take something else in return switched the real grapes for fake ones switched the day of his flight from Thursday to Friday

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2
as in to flick
to move from side to side or up and down with quick jerky motions cows lazily switching their tails and chewing their cud

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3
4
as in to reverse
to change (as an opinion) to the contrary a politician who has switched his position on a number of issues

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

5

switch

2 of 2

noun

1
2
as in flick
a quick jerky movement from side to side or up and down that telltale switch of the cat's tail meant there was a mouse under the piano

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3

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 switch
Verb
The narrative switched when Jane Byrne became mayor in 1979 and pushed for movies to be filmed in Chicago. Cam'ron Hardy, Chicago Tribune, 19 Aug. 2025 The survey data showed that having access to over-the-counter birth control pills was associated with an increase of 31.8 percentage points in switching to using the over-the-counter pill after using no contraception. Jacqueline Howard, CNN Money, 18 Aug. 2025
Noun
Blankenship made the switch: intersex advocacy became her pageant platform. Zoey Lyttle, People.com, 27 Aug. 2025 Tactile switches sit in between these, offering moderate noise and a noticeable bump when the keystroke is registered. Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 26 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for switch
Recent Examples of Synonyms for switch
Verb
  • Though the restaurant is already atmospheric, all the stars’ photos on the wall had to be swapped out for images that were cleared.
    Pat Saperstein, Variety, 19 Aug. 2025
  • While brighter summer manicure colors will likely take a backseat in the coming weeks and months, being swapped out for classic moodier fall nail polishes, butter yellow is one of those colors that can, and will, cross seasonal boundaries.
    Catharine Malzahn, Glamour, 19 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • The Wu put people onto a lot of movies like John Woo’s The Killer and kung fu flicks.
    Angel Diaz, Billboard, 22 Aug. 2025
  • Except, of course, the absurdist solution: leaping straight into the air, wrapping the racquet behind his torso, and flicking the ball back over the net.
    Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 19 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • The moment, which quickly went viral, saw the pair duck to hide their faces from the camera, setting off alarm bells and becoming instant fodder for online chatter.
    Anna Kaufman, USA Today, 26 Aug. 2025
  • In the end, there doesn’t appear to have ever been a shooter to hide from or disarm.
    Ryan Anderson, Arkansas Online, 25 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • By 3-1, those surveyed said humans could slow or reverse climate change but aren't willing to change their behavior to do that.
    Susan Page, USA Today, 29 Aug. 2025
  • Following blowback, Ascension Wisconsin reversed course and no longer plans to outsource staffing of its critical care physicians.
    Hope Karnopp, jsonline.com, 29 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • When Sunday ended, supremacy was restored – the Dodgers were back in first place in the NL West, and the Padres were licking their wounds, wondering what just happened.
    Dan Freedman, Forbes.com, 19 Aug. 2025
  • The little girl licks butter off a spoon, gets a bottle full of bone broth and uses her four teeth to gum ribeye steak.
    Deirdre Bardolf, FOXNews.com, 18 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • Wind whips both the sound waves and temperatures around, so bring a blanket even if it’s not forecast to rain or hail.
    John Wenzel, Denver Post, 19 Aug. 2025
  • Freak tornadoes uproot electric poles, whip wires into a maelstrom, rip tin roofs from homes, and once shattered an entire village.
    Ariel Saramandi, The Dial, 29 July 2025
Noun
  • Free flap reconstruction, which moves tissue from another part of the body to the jaw after trismus release Physical Therapy Physical therapy helps with recovery after the worst lockjaw symptoms resolve.
    Mark Gurarie, Health, 22 Aug. 2025
  • According to Irwin Mitchell, the coroner found that Michael had epiglottitis, which is a swelling of the flap that covers the windpipe.
    Cara Lynn Shultz, People.com, 15 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • Interaction must be minimal: a single tap or swipe, or voice commands.
    Tiffani Jackson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 27 Aug. 2025
  • Their first show, a biopic retelling the story of their exit from the palace, was a ratings hit but sparked major controversy due to swipes at Harry's family.
    Jack Royston, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 Aug. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Switch.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/switch. Accessed 3 Sep. 2025.

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