We just have to swallow it.
Source: tatoeba (19562)
Swallow
/ˈswɒl.əʊ/
Synonyms for "swallow" (267 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Closest matches (54)
Strong matches (80)
crawfish outcreditcuddartdenydepletedevourdigestdisavowdisclaimdisowndispatchdispose ofdisregarddowndraindrain of resourcesdraughtdrinkdrinking
Show 47 more words
dropeagleeateat croweat humble pieeat upeatingelectricityendureengorgeengorgementengulfengulfmenterodeexhaustexpendexpress trainface the musicfallfall forfinishfinish offflashforswearfumblegazellegetget away withget downgive faith tognashgogo along withgo forgobgobblegobble upgorgegreased lightninggreyhoundgulpgulp downgulpingguzzlehareignoreimbibe
Related words (133)
Verb(11 words)
imbibitionimpoverishingestingestioningurgitateingurgitationjet planeknock underknuckle downknuckle underlap uplightlightninglinelive with itlumpmagpiemercurymorselmouthful
Show 94 more words
muddlemumblemunchmurmurmutternibblenipnot resistobeyovercomepack awaypocketpocket the affrontput awayput faith inquaffquicksilverquidquiltrecantreceiverelentrenegerenouncerepressrepudiateresignretractrevokeriserocketscared rabbitset store byshotsipslurpsmothersnapspendsquanderstandstiflestomachstreakstreak of lightningstriped snakesubmitsuccumbsuck drysuffersupsupportsuppresssurroundswallow an insultswallow anythingswallow hookswallow itswallow the pillswallow upswallow wholeswallowingswigswillswill downswing attaketake backtake downtake for grantedtake intake ittake on faithtake on trusttake stock intake the baittastethoughtthunderbolttoleratetorrenttosstrusttuck intumble forturn aside provocationturn the other cheekunsayuse upwaste awaywear awaywindwithdrawwolf down
Choosing the right synonym
- Closest matches in this entry: deglutition, abide, abjure, ablate, absorb.
- Sentence evidence is available for swallow, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
- Ranking signals come from wordnet, opengloss, moby, derived_reverse, and related lexical sources.
Synonym selection checklist
- Match the part of speech before comparing meanings.
- Check whether the synonym changes intensity, formality, or emotional tone.
- Read the replacement inside the full sentence, not just beside "swallow".
- Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.
When not to replace "swallow"
Keep "swallow" when the sentence already sounds natural, when a synonym would add unintended emphasis, or when readers need the most familiar wording. A synonym should clarify or sharpen the message, not simply make the sentence look more varied.
If two options seem close, choose the one that best matches the audience and purpose of the sentence.
Replacement workflow
1. Preserve meaning
Choose a synonym only if it keeps the core idea of "swallow" intact in the sentence you are editing.
2. Tune tone
Check whether the replacement sounds more formal, casual, emotional, technical, or forceful than the original word.
3. Re-read context
Read the full sentence after the swap. Keep the synonym only when the sentence becomes clearer or more precise.
Review note: Synonym lists are ranked with lexical data and reviewed for practical writing value. Use the comparison notes, sentence evidence, and source labels together; a high-ranking synonym can still be wrong when the audience, register, or grammar changes.
Final fit check
After choosing a replacement for "swallow", read the sentence once for meaning and once for rhythm. The best synonym should feel natural in the full sentence, not only accurate in a word list.
If the synonym makes the sentence slower, vaguer, or more dramatic than intended, keep "swallow" or choose a simpler alternative from the closest-match group.
Related word relations
OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.
More general
51 entriesShowing 16 of 51 words.
More specific
12 entriesCollocations
10 entriesHirundo rusticabarn swallowdeglutition processhouse martinsand martinswallowing disorderswallowing pillsswallowing rateswallowing reflexswallowing water
Inflections
3 entriesDerivations
3 entriesTranslations
42 translations across 31 languages.
Albanian
1 entries- përpij verb (to take in, to consume)
Bikol Central
1 entries- halon verb (to take in, to consume)
Bulgarian
1 entries- поглъщам verb (to take in, to consume)
Catalan
1 entries- empassar verb (to take in, to consume)
Chickasaw
1 entries- nannabli verb (to take in, to consume)
Czech
1 entries- spolknout verb (to take in, to consume)
Esperanto
2 entries- engluti verb (to take in, to consume)
- gluti verb (to take in, to consume)
Finnish
1 entries- niellä verb (to take in, to consume)
French
1 entries- avaler verb (to take in, to consume)
German
1 entries- verschlucken verb (to take in, to consume)
Hungarian
3 entries- bekap verb (to take in, to consume)
- bekebelez verb (to take in, to consume)
- elnyel verb (to take in, to consume)
Italian
2 entries- assorbire verb (to take in, to consume)
- consumare verb (to take in, to consume)
Japanese
1 entries- 嚥下する verb (to take in, to consume)
Macedonian
2 entries- го́лта verb (to take in, to consume)
- про́голта verb (to take in, to consume)
Middle English
1 entries- swolwen verb (to take in, to consume)
Māori
1 entries- horopū verb (to take in, to consume)
Northern Kurdish
3 entries- dabilandin verb (to take in, to consume)
- daqurtandin verb (to take in, to consume)
- daûrandin verb (to take in, to consume)
Norwegian Bokmål
1 entries- sluke verb (to take in, to consume)
Norwegian Nynorsk
1 entries- sluke verb (to take in, to consume)
Old Irish
1 entries- sluicid verb (to take in, to consume)
Old Norse
1 entries- gleypa verb (to take in, to consume)
Portuguese
1 entries- engolir verb (to take in, to consume)
Scottish Gaelic
1 entries- sluig verb (to take in, to consume)
Serbo-Croatian
4 entries- gùtati verb (to take in, to consume)
- progùtati verb (to take in, to consume)
- гу̀тати verb (to take in, to consume)
- прогу̀тати verb (to take in, to consume)
Sicilian
1 entries- nguḍḍari verb (to take in, to consume)
Spanish
1 entries- tragar verb (to take in, to consume)
Swahili
1 entries- meza verb (to take in, to consume)
Swedish
1 entries- sluka verb (to take in, to consume)
Telugu
1 entries- తిను verb (to take in, to consume)
Turkish
2 entries- almak verb (to take in, to consume)
- tüketmek verb (to take in, to consume)
Zazaki
1 entries- groten verb (to take in, to consume)
Sample sentences
32 total sentences available.
First, swallow one dose of barium.
Source: tatoeba (35051)
One swallow does not make a summer.
Source: tatoeba (39800)
The swallow is swift in flight.
Source: tatoeba (39801)
Showing 4 of 32 available sentences.
Common questions
What are the closest synonyms for "swallow"?
Closest matches include deglutition, abide, abjure, ablate, absorb.
How should I check whether a synonym fits "swallow"?
Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.