The tornado ripped through the small town, leaving a swath of destruction in its wake.
Source: tatoeba (10259252)
Swath
/swɑθ/
Synonyms for "swath" (81 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Closest matches (17)
Strong matches (24)
Related words (40)
Choosing the right synonym
- Closest matches in this entry: belt, array, articulation, band, bandage.
- Sentence evidence is available for swath, 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 "swath".
- Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.
When not to replace "swath"
Keep "swath" 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 "swath" 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 "swath", 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 "swath" 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
14 entriesMore specific
21 entriesShowing 16 of 21 words.
Collocations
11 entriescut a swathimaging swathsensor swathswath of destructionswath widthswathe a fieldswathe cropsswathe the landscapeswathe the woundswathe with clothwide swath
Inflections
4 entriesDerivations
4 entriesSample sentences
7 total sentences available.
For the first time in more than 100 years, scientists have discovered a new species living in New York's Central Park. The creature is a tiny centipede, just 10 millimeters long. But, in the world of science, this bug cuts a wide swath.
Source: tatoeba (11052779)
The 2017 hurricane season inflicted severe damage to communities and coastal resources over large areas of the Caribbean, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, and Texas, leaving a swath of destruction and large amounts of debris in the coastal zone of the affected states and territories.
Source: tatoeba (11999580)
Ms. Lester has the tall, broad-shouldered look of a farm girl and sports a bright red baseball cap that reads "cowgirl". She's one of a group of volunteers setting up water tanks and fencing across a 200,000-hectare swath of northern Arizona. The tanks will eventually provide water to hundreds of elk, deer, antelope, and even cattle. "I mean, they gotta drink, and in this kind of drought, you've gotta bring the water to them and take care of them, because they will suffer if we don't do something out here," she says.
Source: tatoeba (12181469)
Showing 4 of 7 available sentences.
Common questions
What are the closest synonyms for "swath"?
Closest matches include belt, array, articulation, band, bandage.
How should I check whether a synonym fits "swath"?
Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.