English Reference

Word

switching

Phoneticsswitch·ing

US/ˈswɪtʃɪŋ/

UK/swˈɪtʃɪŋ/

Definitions

01changing between things

B1

n. the act of changing from one thing, person, or method to another.

n. the act of substituting one thing for another or changing a course of action.

“The switching of players during the second half helped the team win the game.”

“Frequent switching between different software tools can lead to a loss of focus and reduced productivity for office workers.”

Synonyms

02routing data

B2 · Computing

n. the way a computer network moves information from one place to another.

n. the process of connecting different nodes in a network to allow data to reach its destination.

“The office internet is slow because there is a problem with the network switching.”

“Modern packet switching allows multiple users to share the same data path efficiently by breaking information into smaller chunks.”

Technical

Real-World Examples

“Switching banks will show up on your credit report.”
BBC News · 16 Aug 2026
“Photograph: Bruce Rollinson/PA Jakirovic showed an impressive knack of switching tactics depending on whom his side faced or how a game was evolving.”
The Guardian · 14 Aug 2026

Word family

switchNounswitchingNoun

Domain

Computing

This entry

Level
B2 · Upper Intermediate
Frequency
Common
Updated

Scan code

englishreference.com/q/switching

English Reference