The letter "s" is one of the most popular letters in the alphabet, so it’s likely to find its way into your next short story or poem. One of the best ways to strengthen your vocabulary is to build out a list of interesting words that you'd like to use in your work. Then, the next time you feel stuck, you can glance down at your list and see which words pop off the page and onto your computer screen. Find some super words for your list by exploring 50 verbs that start with "s."
What Is a Verb?
In the English language, each word has a specific place it needs to be and a specific role it needs to play in a sentence. Verbs express action or states of being. With verbs, you'll find they typically (but not always) come after the subject of the sentence and before the object of the sentence. For example, "Sandra screamed at the ghost." In this sentence, "Sandra" is the subject, "screamed" is the verb showing action and "ghost" is the object receiving the action of the verb.
50 Verbs Starting With S
The more verbs you know, the more action-oriented your writing can be. Will your next character scrabble or scramble to the finish line? As you scribble down the outline for your next plot twist, see if any of these 50 verbs that start with "s" will make the cut.
| Verb | Definition |
sabotage |
to intentionally destroy something |
sag |
to droop or hang unevenly |
sail |
to move, float or glide smoothly through water or air |
salute |
to place your right hand to your forehead in a gesture of respect |
saunter |
to stroll or walk slowly |
save |
to keep or put away for later use |
savor |
to appreciate the smell, taste or feeling of something |
scamper |
to move quickly and lightly |
scare |
to frighten or alarm someone |
scold |
to criticize, chastise or rebuke |
scoop |
to dig or hollow out |
score |
to earn points, especially in a game or sport |
scowl |
to wrinkle the eyebrows in a show of anger or disapproval |
scrabble |
to quickly move one's fingers or feet along a service |
scramble |
to mix, stir or otherwise move around in a random way |
scrap |
to get rid of something that is no longer useful |
scrape |
to pull and or/push a hard tool across a surface |
scratch |
to lightly scrape or dig at with nails or claws |
scrawl |
to write, draw or mark carelessly or hastily |
scream |
to shout very loudly |
screech |
to make a high-pitched yelling sound |
screw |
to twist or rotate something in order to attach or tighten it |
scribble |
to write carelessly or illegibly |
scrub |
to clean by rubbing hard |
search |
to try to locate something |
seek |
to attempt to find something |
seize |
to take something aggressively or by force |
select |
to choose something |
sell |
to exchange something for money or act as a salesperson |
sense |
to perceive or be aware of something |
serve |
to present something over to someone |
shake |
to move with short, quick motions |
share |
to give a portion of what you have to someone else |
sharpen |
to make or become sharp or sharper; to hone something |
shatter |
to smash or break into many pieces |
shave |
to remove hair from the surface of the skin |
shift |
to move or change |
shiver |
to shake or tremble |
shout |
to utter a sudden and loud outcry; to yell |
shove |
to quickly or roughly push |
show |
to bring into view, teach or demonstrate |
shred |
to tear or cut something into small pieces |
shrink |
to become less, reduce or make smaller |
shrug |
to raise the shoulders in an expression of doubt, rejection or indifference |
shudder |
to shake or tremble due to fear |
shuffle |
to mix up the order of things |
sing |
to make musical sounds with the voice |
skate |
to glide over a surface wearing roller or ice skates |
slam |
to shut very hard and loudly |
squint |
to squeeze your eyes shut a bit to try and get a better view |
Types of Action Verbs: Regular and Irregular
The words above are action verbs, as is the case with the majority of verbs. Also known as dynamic verbs, action verbs express the action of the sentence. For instance, in "She had to shatter the glass to get into her house," shatter is an action verb. There are many action verb examples. Action verbs can be regular or irregular.
- Regular verbs change from present tense to past tense by adding -ed at the end. For example, "She didn’t scold me; she scolded him."
- Irregular verbs, on the other hand, are conjugated into past tense differently. For example, the verb sing doesn't become "singed" in the past tense. Instead, it would be correct to say, "I didn’t sing the solo; we sang a duet instead."
The best way to familiarize yourself with irregular verbs is to memorize them. Take some time to look over this list of irregular verbs and review it regularly.
10 Example Sentences of S-Verbs
Are you ready to put your new super-sized vocabulary of verbs that start with "s" to work? Don't get ahead of yourself! First, explore a few example sentences that contain "s" verbs. Getting a sense of how these verbs can be used in real-world sentences can help prepare you to use them in your own conversations or writing.
- In the fall, let’s sail to Europe.
- I love to savor a nice pot of tea in the evenings.
- Can you scoop me another bowl of ice cream?
- She loves to scrawl notes in her travel journal.
- Every Saturday morning, we scrub the bathrooms.
- Be sure to sharpen your pencils before today’s lesson.
- He managed to shatter her heart with his sharp words.
- I do not like to shiver in the cold.
- Don’t shove me out the door!
- She loves to skate in the rink at Central Park.
A Scrabble Sabotage and Beyond
The next time you and your friends sit down to a game of Scrabble, see if you can sabotage their search for greatness. If you’re lucky enough to pluck the letter "s" from the pile, you just might saunter away with a victory. See if any of these "s" adjectives will help you engage in a scintillating showdown. Then, seek even more selections on WordFinder by YourDictionary, where you can find a super list of even more words that start with "s." Or, stay focused on verbs but turn your attention to the next letter of the alphabet, where you can investigate verbs that start with "t."