swashbuckling
adjective
swash·buck·ling
ˈswäsh-ˌbə-k(ə-)liŋ 
ˈswȯsh-
1
: acting in the manner of a swashbuckler
2
: characteristic of, marked by, or done by swashbucklers
Examples of swashbuckling in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The book — the first in a trilogy being published by Harper Voyager — is a swashbuckling high seas adventure following a notorious Muslim pirate captain who has survived backstabbing rogues, vengeful merchant princes, several husbands and an actual demon before retiring to a life of piety.
—
Alex Ritman, Variety, 7 Mar. 2024
Our Flag Means Death season 2 reunites swashbuckling lovers Stede Bonnet (Rhys Darby) and Blackbeard (Taika Waititi) after their tragic parting in season 1.
—Devan Coggan, EW.com, 6 Oct. 2023
Beloved for its swashbuckling narrative and whimsical characters and trappings — Tinker Bell, Captain Hook, Peter’s detachable shadow — the story abounds in resonance.
—Celia Wren, Washington Post, 14 Feb. 2024
The football world would be forced to view him in a different light — perhaps then his doubters finally get to enjoy his highly entertaining, swashbuckling game.
—Dieter Kurtenbach, The Mercury News, 11 Feb. 2024
There’s food, drinks, costumes, and all sorts of swashbuckling shenanigans, including a standout drag performance from Wee John (Kristian Nairn).
—Ew Staff Published, EW.com, 12 Dec. 2023
Throughout 2022 Finkelstein had turned to several swashbuckling editors to lead the site courting former Vanity Fair and New Yorker editor Tina Brown, former Us Weekly and THR editor Janice Min and former Cosmopolitan editor in chief Joanna Coles who all turned down his overtures.
—Lachlan Cartwright, The Hollywood Reporter, 6 Feb. 2024
In some ways, Antonio spends much of the novel as a swashbuckling trope, navigating familiar cinematic scrapes.
—Mark Athitakis, Los Angeles Times, 23 Jan. 2024
Director Richard Lester's The Three Musketeers (1973) and The Four Musketeers (1974) is the definitive version, showcasing plenty of campy slapstick humor, light political intrigue, and classic Hollywood swashbuckling swordplay.
—Ars Staff, Ars Technica, 25 Dec. 2023
Alex Ritman, Variety, 7 Mar. 2024
Our Flag Means Death season 2 reunites swashbuckling lovers Stede Bonnet (Rhys Darby) and Blackbeard (Taika Waititi) after their tragic parting in season 1.
—Devan Coggan, EW.com, 6 Oct. 2023
Beloved for its swashbuckling narrative and whimsical characters and trappings — Tinker Bell, Captain Hook, Peter’s detachable shadow — the story abounds in resonance.
—Celia Wren, Washington Post, 14 Feb. 2024
The football world would be forced to view him in a different light — perhaps then his doubters finally get to enjoy his highly entertaining, swashbuckling game.
—Dieter Kurtenbach, The Mercury News, 11 Feb. 2024
There’s food, drinks, costumes, and all sorts of swashbuckling shenanigans, including a standout drag performance from Wee John (Kristian Nairn).
—Ew Staff Published, EW.com, 12 Dec. 2023
Throughout 2022 Finkelstein had turned to several swashbuckling editors to lead the site courting former Vanity Fair and New Yorker editor Tina Brown, former Us Weekly and THR editor Janice Min and former Cosmopolitan editor in chief Joanna Coles who all turned down his overtures.
—Lachlan Cartwright, The Hollywood Reporter, 6 Feb. 2024
In some ways, Antonio spends much of the novel as a swashbuckling trope, navigating familiar cinematic scrapes.
—Mark Athitakis, Los Angeles Times, 23 Jan. 2024
Director Richard Lester's The Three Musketeers (1973) and The Four Musketeers (1974) is the definitive version, showcasing plenty of campy slapstick humor, light political intrigue, and classic Hollywood swashbuckling swordplay.
—Ars Staff, Ars Technica, 25 Dec. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'swashbuckling.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near swashbuckling
Cite this Entry
“Swashbuckling.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/swashbuckling. Accessed 18 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
swashbuckling
adjective
swash·buck·ling
ˈswäsh-ˌbək-(ə-)liŋ
ˈswȯsh-
1
: acting in the manner of a swashbuckler
2
: characteristic of, marked by, or done by swashbucklers
swashbuckling adventure
a swashbuckling tale
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