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Synonyms

swam

American  
[swam] / swæm /

verb

  1. the simple past tense of swim.

swam British  
/ swæm /

verb

  1. the past tense of swim

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Fish on longer lifespan trajectories swam more vigorously and reached higher speeds when moving around the tank.

From Science Daily • Mar. 26, 2026

Others on the yacht noticed and immediately swam towards him, lifting his head above the water.

From BBC • Mar. 25, 2026

After Porkchop swam off, several aquarium staffers gathered trash from the river, including roughly 20 golf balls, a Volkswagen car emblem, cut-up credit card, teal plastic line, a bottle cap.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 27, 2026

A 13-year-old boy recounts how he swam for hours through choppy waters off western Australia to get help for his family.

From Barron's • Feb. 3, 2026

I swam on, barely causing a ripple, heart thumping.

From "Flying Through Water" by Mamle Wolo

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.