to switch
1
8.1
- verb
- /swɪtʃ/
- NSFW
- The parent decided to switch her child with a flexible rod for not doing his homework.
Examples
-
Wincing at the feel of dead flesh, she switched it to the proper finger.
Fiction book (1994) -
Are you going to hickory-switch him or am I?
-
Why did speaking her own tongue mean getting rapped on the knuckles or switched across the shoulders?
Fiction book (1992) -
The teacher used a light switch to strike the student for misbehaving in class.
-
In the old days, children were often switched as a form of discipline for their misbehavior.
Synonyms
18
8.3
Hit someone with a whip or stick as punishment
1
7.0
To hit someone or something very hard, for example with a fist
Antonyms
Idioms
Phrasal Verbs
57
1.6
To make a device like a light start working by pressing a button or moving a switch
16
3.5
Cause a sudden change, for example by moving a small control to turn something on
Compounds
- Slang
1
9.9
An informal term for a person who is sexually attracted to both men and women
1
2.8
A device that connects and cuts the flow of electricity to turn a light or machine on and off
- Specialized
1
6.0
A tall North American grass that farmers cut for hay and to prevent soil erosion
- Specialized
1
6.3
A small group of tiny manual controls on electronic devices that set options
- Specialized
1
5.5
A device that lets you turn a light on or off from two different places
- Specialized
A small row of tiny switches on a computer board used to set hardware options
- US
A quickly growing bush that stays green all year with arching crossed branches and white flower clusters
- Specialized
A device with three wires that lets you turn lights on or off from two places
How Hard
Surface Forms
Etymology
To switch someone (to strike or flog) comes from the noun switch, a thin flexible branch used for hitting, so to switch is to beat with such a twig.