This means to send food or drink from the mouth to the stomach. It is a common action when eating or drinking.
I swallow food after chewing well.
She swallowed some water quickly.
Here, swallow means to stop yourself from showing strong feelings. People do this to hide emotions or stay calm.
He swallowed his anger and smiled.
She swallowed her tears at the sad news.
This means to accept something hard or bad without arguing. It often relates to accepting facts or things said by others.
She swallowed the lie without asking.
He swallowed bad news quietly.
As a noun, swallow means the action of pushing food or drink down your throat. It is what happens when you eat or drink.
He felt a big swallow of water.
Take a small swallow of juice first.
In some rare uses, swallow means a thin line or stripe, like a small streak of color or light. This use is not common in everyday English.
There was a swallow of light on the wall.
The swallow of paint ran down the paper.
In shipping, swallow means to hold or take in water, usually in a dangerous way. It is used when water enters a ship unexpectedly.
The boat swallowed water during the storm.
The ship swallowed waves in rough seas.
This meaning is similar to the first, but it focuses on swallowing something quickly or in one go, often without chewing.
He swallowed the pill with some water.
She swallowed the candy fast.
