as in sailor
one who operates or navigates a seagoing vessel old swabs swapping sea stories as they spend their last days in the veterans' home
Synonyms & Similar Words
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as in to wipe
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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 swab
Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 5 Apr. 2026 However, the vaginal swab is only meant to be used for women who have abnormal vaginal bleeding as a symptom, the most common red flag for endometrial cancer, said PinkDx co-founder and CEO Bonnie Anderson. —Dr. Chidimma J. Acholonu, ABC News, 3 Apr. 2026
Kelsey Brown, San Antonio Express-News, 12 Jan. 2026 Pap smears, on the other hand, use a metal or plastic device called a speculum to widen the vaginal canal so a clinician can swab the cervix for cells. —Aria Bendix, NBC news, 5 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for swab
Noun
The testing can be conducted via saliva, cheek swab or blood sample. —Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 5 Apr. 2026 However, the vaginal swab is only meant to be used for women who have abnormal vaginal bleeding as a symptom, the most common red flag for endometrial cancer, said PinkDx co-founder and CEO Bonnie Anderson. —Dr. Chidimma J. Acholonu, ABC News, 3 Apr. 2026
Verb
Similar to his trip to the Arctic, he was set to swab and syringe anything that looked promising, secure the findings in test tubes and collect as much information as possible — salinity, pressure, temperature — about where samples were found. —Kelsey Brown, San Antonio Express-News, 12 Jan. 2026 Pap smears, on the other hand, use a metal or plastic device called a speculum to widen the vaginal canal so a clinician can swab the cervix for cells. —Aria Bendix, NBC news, 5 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for swab
Recent Examples of Synonyms for swab
Noun
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In addition to the base’s security personnel, sailors and the base’s fire department staff will participate, Smith said.— Erika I. Ritchie, Oc Register, 9 Apr. 2026
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Across the chain, all profits are funneled back into the Navy and help to fund its morale, welfare and recreation programs, which offer sailors and their families access to services like day cares, gyms, counseling and community events.— Gabrielle Fonrouge,Ryan Baker, CNBC, 8 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Other players use wet towels or even lick their hands and wipe the bottom of their shoes to get more grip.— Max Scheinblum, Denver Post, 17 Apr. 2026
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That’s the only way to live and survive, and to prove that you can’t be defeated, because Israelis will still tell you that they are surrounded by enemies who want to wipe them off the face of the earth.— Isaac Chotiner, New Yorker, 15 Apr. 2026
Noun
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At the same time, a backlog of 18,000 merchant mariner credentials has built up, delaying the certification of workers essential to maritime commerce.— Nicole Sganga, CBS News, 23 Apr. 2026
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Danielson remembers Lind, an affable old mariner then in his seventies, complimenting them on their docking skills, and introducing himself as the owner of the Robert Gray, a 125-foot Army Corps of Engineers research vessel built in 1936.— Tessa Stuart, Rolling Stone, 23 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The May 6 attempt was scrubbed two hours before liftoff because of valve on ULA’s upper Centaur stage that teams continue to investigate.— Richard Tribou, The Orlando Sentinel, 19 Apr. 2026
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Once soaked, use a soft sponge or a non-wired brush (soft-bristled is best) to gently scrub the filters.— Daley Quinn, Southern Living, 16 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Historical context The Portuguese first arrived in India after the navigator Vasco da Gama’s voyages (1497–99, 1502–03, and 1524) opened the sea route from western Europe to Asia around the Cape of Good Hope.— Sanat Pai RaikarAll, Encyclopedia Britannica, 6 Apr. 2026
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Connecting with financial counselors, patient navigators and care coordinators could help young patients on public insurance or those who lack insurance navigate the system.— Rhonda Winegar, Fortune, 1 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Morales is seen in surveillance video clutching at Pulido’s sweater a couple of times with Pulido brushing his hand away before Morales returns and the beating and kicking commences.— City News Service, Oc Register, 24 Apr. 2026
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Gilgeous-Alexander, for his part, brushed off the criticism with a measured response.— Hanna Wickes, Miami Herald, 23 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Scrub the area with a nylon brush, then rinse with clean water.— Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 11 Apr. 2026
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Open the umbrella completely, and rinse it thoroughly with a normal garden hose.— Olivia McIntosh, Martha Stewart, 10 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Here, three cleaning experts share why dirt is lingering on your floors and provide tips on how to mop floors the right way, every single time.— Sarah Lyon, The Spruce, 8 Apr. 2026
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There is mopping, dusting, cutting, resting going on.— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 3 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Swab.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.grautoblog.com/thesaurus/swab. Accessed 26 Apr. 2026.
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