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as in to promise
to make a solemn declaration of intent swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in curse
a disrespectful or indecent word or expression can't you express your frustration without using swears?
Synonyms & Similar Words
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 swear
Ilana Arougheti, Kansas City Star, 14 Apr. 2026 Some gardeners swear that a strong-scented bar of soap like Irish Spring will repel pests. —Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 11 Apr. 2026
Bethy Squires, Vulture, 31 Dec. 2025 Some swear by using coffee grounds to give their Christmas cactus encouragement during the blooming season. —Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 12 Dec. 2025 See All Example Sentences for swear
Verb
The city currently spends between $125,000 and $150,000 a year on operating costs for historic sites alone, recently sworn-in Independence City Manager Troy Anderson said. —Ilana Arougheti, Kansas City Star, 14 Apr. 2026 Some gardeners swear that a strong-scented bar of soap like Irish Spring will repel pests. —Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 11 Apr. 2026
Noun
In both The Wire and 25th Hour, Whitlock uttered his catchphrase swear. —Bethy Squires, Vulture, 31 Dec. 2025 Some swear by using coffee grounds to give their Christmas cactus encouragement during the blooming season. —Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 12 Dec. 2025 See All Example Sentences for swear
Recent Examples of Synonyms for swear
Verb
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Gray is a very smart actor and wholly credible as a woman swimming in the amoral landscape of big tech, cursed by having eyes wide open.— Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune, 21 Apr. 2026
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Avalanche fans don’t need to be cursing under their breath about winning the Presidents’ Trophy.— Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 19 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Sunday marked only the first chapter, and an early test for a young, promising head coach.— Doug Haller, New York Times, 20 Apr. 2026
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The 18 million acre-feet was likely an overestimation of how much water there was even a century ago, but today’s river provides even less than the total amounts promised to states in 1922.— Elise Schmelzer, Denver Post, 19 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Civic spending in all but eight states testifies to the fact that the Lost Cause fantasy was not an aberration or an abomination, but the reality across the country.— Horace D. Ballard, Artforum, 22 Apr. 2026
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Then, in 2005, the Texas First Court of Appeals overturned Yates’ conviction after finding the forensic psychiatrist who testified for the prosecution gave erroneous testimony that may have prejudiced the jury.— Chelsea Bailey, CNN Money, 22 Apr. 2026
Noun
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And, when the alarm wails hours before dawn, human cusses of angry protest join the chorus of budget appliances failing before their time.— Virginia Konchan, The New Yorker, 30 Sep. 2024
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My grandmother extended a ladder up into this tough old cuss of a tree and climbed up, at some risk, to pick the bulging fruit.— Jim Meddleton, The Christian Science Monitor, 1 May 2024
Verb
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For his followers, blaspheming the Holocaust and celebrating Hitler became a way to signal contempt for the political religion of postwar liberalism.— Antonia Hitchens, New Yorker, 6 Apr. 2026
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How to say anything about The Changeling without blaspheming its deep mystery, its reverence for the unspeakable, animal heart of creation?— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 10 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Lourenco's administration has vowed to crack down on corruption and has worked to recover funds allegedly stolen in the dos Santos era.— ABC News, ABC News, 18 Apr. 2026
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Dan Nowicki Erika Kirk praised the United States for holding a unique status on the globe and vowed that Turning Point will fight to stop her home state of Arizona from turning into a liberal stronghold like California.— Arizona Republic, AZCentral.com, 17 Apr. 2026
Verb
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But Australians should maintain confidence in due process, and refrain from jumping to conclusions by either damning Roberts-Smith or excusing him.— The Week UK, TheWeek, 19 Apr. 2026
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Swalwell's gubernatorial campaign imploded in a matter of hours after a series of damning reports, and lawmakers on both sides of the aisle, including his longtime Golden State ally Nancy Pelosi, quickly soured on him.— Zachary Schermele, USA Today, 14 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Meta, the parent company of Facebook and WhatsApp, has pledged to remove imposter accounts tied to scams that were recently flagged by the Manhattan district attorney's office, following a phone call between the two parties this week, the DA's office told ABC News Friday.— Aaron Katersky, ABC News, 17 Apr. 2026
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The back-and-forth discussion spanned a dozen minutes before 11 of 13 city council members metaphorically raised their hands, pledging up to $600 million to the Kansas City Royals for a downtown baseball stadium.— Sam McDowell, Kansas City Star, 17 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Swear.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.grautoblog.com/thesaurus/swear. Accessed 24 Apr. 2026.
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