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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.

He is a 2,000-pound Steller sea lion who swam up to a dock on Pier 39 a month ago and has decided to stay.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 26, 2026

Having not swam seriously since he was 18, he only got back into the sport after his father's death to "feel connected to him" as he grieved.

From BBC • Apr. 14, 2026

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

From Science Daily • Mar. 26, 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

I bent to turn the faucet off, but my head swam, and the faint shimmer of water on the tile seemed to wink at me.

From "The Red Car to Hollywood" by Jennie Liu

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.