sway 1 of 2

noun

ˈswā How to pronounce sway (audio)
Definition of swaynext
1
as in influence
the power to bring about a result on another under the sway of euphoria, she offered to take us all out to dinner in celebration of her new job

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in leverage
the power to direct the thinking or behavior of others usually indirectly outdated attitudes that still hold sway in some communities

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in power
the right or means to command or control others a time when Rome held sway over a vast empire that stretched from Britain to the Near East

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

sway

2 of 2

verb

1
as in to influence
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

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to lurch
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 to govern
archaic to exercise authority or power over an epic novel set in the days when Rome swayed the Western world

Synonyms & Similar Words

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun sway contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of sway are authority, command, control, dominion, jurisdiction, and power. While all these words mean "the right to govern or rule or determine," sway suggests the extent of exercised power or influence.

the empire extended its sway over the region

When can authority be used instead of sway?

The meanings of authority and sway largely overlap; however, authority implies power for a specific purpose within specified limits.

granted the authority to manage her estate

In what contexts can command take the place of sway?

While in some cases nearly identical to sway, command implies the power to make arbitrary decisions and compel obedience.

the army officer in command

When would control be a good substitute for sway?

In some situations, the words control and sway are roughly equivalent. However, control stresses the power to direct and restrain.

you are responsible for the students under your control

When could dominion be used to replace sway?

The synonyms dominion and sway are sometimes interchangeable, but dominion stresses sovereign power or supreme authority.

given dominion over all the animals

When is jurisdiction a more appropriate choice than sway?

The words jurisdiction and sway are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, jurisdiction applies to official power exercised within prescribed limits.

the bureau having jurisdiction over parks

When is it sensible to use power instead of sway?

The words power and sway can be used in similar contexts, but power implies possession of ability to wield force, authority, or influence.

the power to mold public opinion

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 sway
Noun
Instead, the two Americans who held sway over the popular story of Texas from the 1820s to the 1860s and who lent their names to those large cities. —Michael Barnes, Austin American Statesman, 2 July 2025 The Constitution also makes the president the commander in chief of the nation's armed forces, giving him significant sway over the use of the military. —Kevin Breuninger, CNBC, 24 June 2025
Verb
And as the administrative district judge who sets the judicial rules for the region and helps assign the capital city’s cases, Hippler has sway over who gets picked, Idaho courts spokesperson Nate Poppino told the Idaho Statesman, despite the judge’s public umbrage about receiving the assignment. —Idaho Statesman, 22 July 2025 This could have swayed people on social media, but that doesn’t normally impact fighter’s opinions. —Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 20 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for sway
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sway
  1. influence
  2. leverage
  3. power
  4. affect
  5. lurch
  6. govern
  7. effect
  8. control
Noun
  • Palace had argued that Textor does not have decisive influence at the club because his investment in Palace only entitles him to the same 25% voting rights held by fellow co-owners Steve Parish, David Blitzer and Josh Harris.
    — Robert Olsen, Forbes.com, 15 July 2025
  • Those descriptors are accurate enough, as the band themselves have been upfront and proud about their influences: Lucinda Williams, Fleetwood Mac, Neil Young, Bill Callahan, the Beatles.
    — Leah Lu, Rolling Stone, 15 July 2025
Definition of influence
Noun
  • Seems like any time an MLB owner seeks leverage in negotiations with a current city, Nashville gets mentioned as a prospective home.
    — Gentry Estes, The Tennessean, 26 July 2025
  • This diversification gives India leverage, both at the negotiating table and in navigating global economic shocks.
    — Mavis Mook, CNBC, 25 July 2025
Definition of leverage
Noun
  • Wimbledon has always been the chicest of the Grand Slam tournaments, but this year’s reached a fever pitch of star power and style.
    — Leigh Nordstrom, Footwear News, 15 July 2025
  • There was still power in the dining hall, which ran on a generator, and students would gather regularly at the same time each day to discuss the state of the roads.
    — Jessica Pishko, New Yorker, 15 July 2025
Definition of power
Verb
  • Is There Any Correlation With Peer Earnings? Occasionally, the performance of peers can affect the stock reaction following earnings.
    — Trefis Team, Forbes.com, 16 July 2025
  • And coffee prices are climbing because climate change has affected crops in places like Brazil and Vietnam, Ortega says.
    — Alana Semuels, Time, 15 July 2025
Definition of affect
Verb
  • But that’s not enough opposition to stop CPS from lurching substantially further toward insolvency if Harden and interim school Superintendent Macquline King choose that route.
    — The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 25 July 2025
  • Like Germany after the defeat of Hitler, Argentina lurched back and forth between judging its past crimes and trying to move beyond them.
    — Julia M. Klein, The Atlantic, 11 July 2025
Definition of lurch
Verb
  • The same principles that govern resilient pipelines showed up in how Astronomer managed the public narrative.
    — Sandy Carter, Forbes.com, 26 July 2025
  • However, experts question whether such repeals will withstand scrutiny under the Administrative Procedure Act, which governs the legal process for rescinding rules.
    — Amanda Castro, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 July 2025
Definition of govern
Noun
  • The warning is in effect until 7:15 p.m. Actions to take when lightning threat is imminent Lightning strikes the United States about 25 million times a year.
    — NC Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 19 July 2025
  • There are currently no weather advisories in effect.
    — Sofia Joseph, jsonline.com, 19 July 2025
Definition of effect
Noun
  • The deal also comes after a heated but quiet behind-the-scenes legal dispute between Park County, Paramount Global, and Skydance, which is set to assume control of Paramount in the coming weeks.
    — Winston Cho, HollywoodReporter, 23 July 2025
  • Lockdown may have driven some people to question one another’s reality; Eddington’s protagonist, however, seeks control of his—with violent and gory results.
    — David Sims, The Atlantic, 23 July 2025
Definition of control

Browse Nearby Words

swatting
sway
swayed
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Sway.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sway. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.

Copy Citation

Share

More from Merriam-Webster on sway

Nglish: Translation of sway for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about sway

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Using Bullet Points ( • )

The Difference Between 'i.e.' and 'e.g.'

Democracy or Republic: What's the difference?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Our Best Historical Slang Terms

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Better Ways to Say 'This Sucks'

8 Words with Fascinating Histories
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

Our Best Historical Slang Terms

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
anagrams on a chalk board
Word Builder Quiz Pick the letter that when added to a word will ma...
See All