plural swipes
1
a
: a strong sweeping blow
a swipe of a paw
… he took a swipe at the ball before it stopped moving, a two stroke penalty.—
Ken Fidlin
Ken Fidlin
b
: a sliding gesture (as across the touch screen of a mobile device)
In this day and age, with information available at the push of a button or a swipe, Avdeev's situation is remarkable and rare.—Christopher Miller
Christopher MillerVividly colored orbs appear from time to time, sometimes slowly, often in a mad rush, and seemingly at random. You can move them around with a finger swipe …—David Price
David Price2
: a sharp often critical remark
took a parting swipe at management
Below the picture, the text took a swipe at Perdue's claims …—Thomas Whiteside
Thomas Whiteside
swiped; swiping; swipes
1
: to strike or move with a sweeping motion
Among carnivores like the great cats, wolves and hyenas, cubs pretend to capture prey: stalking, pouncing, biting, swiping at objects with claws extended.—Natalie Angier
Natalie Angier2
: to operate something (such as a function on a mobile device) by sliding one's finger while pressing against a touch screen
On the plus side, it does come with extra large icons on the home screen, and a button bar that you swipe up from the bottom for easy access to video tutorials, troubleshooting tools and 24/7 phone support.—Jennifer Jolly
Jennifer Jolly1
: to strike or wipe (something or someone) with a sweeping motion
Pallone mimicked Rose's gestures in rebuttal—and, perhaps inadvertently, swiped Rose on the cheek near his left eye.—Steve Wulf
Steve WulfOne model boasted a small rectangular "rest" that kept the head from touching the counter when it was laid down and also sported a useful notch for swiping the rim of a jar or bowl.—Lisa McManus
Lisa McManus2
: to activate or control (something) with a swiping gesture
Tinder allows users to swipe their phone screen to the right when they see a picture of someone they like. …—The Mercury (South Africa)
The Mercury (South Africa)3
4
: to slide (a card with a magnetic strip or bar code) through a slot in a reading device so that information contained in the strip or code can be processed (as in making a purchase)
Instead of swiping your credit card, or inserting its chip to complete the payment process, contactless technology lets you make a purchase by placing or hovering your card or phone near a payment terminal, a.k.a. the credit card machine.—Geoffrey Morrison
Geoffrey MorrisonSynonyms
Noun
- bang
- bash
- bat
- beat
- belt
- biff
- blow
- bop
- box
- buffet
- bust
- chop
- clap
- clip
- clout
- crack
- cuff
- dab
- douse [British]
- fillip
- hack
- haymaker
- hit
- hook
- knock
- larrup [dialect]
- lash
- lick
- pelt
- pick
- plump
- poke
- pound
- punch
- rap
- slam
- slap
- slug
- smack
- smash
- sock
- spank
- stinger
- stripe
- stroke
- swat
- switch
- thud
- thump
- thwack
- wallop
- welt
- whack
- wham
- whop
- whap
Verb
Examples of swipe in a Sentence
Noun
She took a swipe at her former company in her latest column.
a swipe of the cat's paw
Verb
The cat swiped the dog across the nose.
They swiped some candy from the store.
The cashier swiped the credit card and gave it back to me.
Recent Examples on the WebRachel Bernhard, Journal Sentinel, 1 Apr. 2024
After a couple streak-free swipes and only a few minutes to dry, our tester noticed how lustrous and high-coverage her nails appeared, putting it above others she’s used before.
—Kate Watson, Peoplemag, 16 Mar. 2024
To directly download the file, swipe to the end of the Share To options and tap More.
—Boone Ashworth, WIRED, 12 Mar. 2024
Just a few swipes and my lashes are transformed with a softer, more natural look than black mascara provides for my skin tone.
—Alyssa Brascia, Peoplemag, 30 Mar. 2024
The settlement opens doors for retailers to place surcharges on cards with higher swipe fees, which could make using a premium card with a hefty rewards program more expensive.
—Bailey Schulz, USA TODAY, 30 Mar. 2024
Once the tinting is complete, excess pigment is removed with the help of a Q-tip and a swipe of damp cotton.
—Calin Van Paris, Vogue, 28 Mar. 2024
The settlement is set to lower swipe fees merchants pay when customers make purchases using their Visa or Mastercard by $30 billion over five years, according to a press release announcing the settlement Tuesday morning.
—Nicole Goodkind, CNN, 27 Mar. 2024
For much of the last decade, luxury e-commerce was heralded as the smart way to shop, offering hyped brands, exclusive products, free returns and 90-minute delivery services at the swipe of a button.
—Elizabeth Paton, New York Times, 27 Mar. 2024
PCMAG, 10 Apr. 2024
Makeup artist Mai Quynh gave us her top tip when applying pressed powder: Use a sponge or dense brush and apply in a pressing or rolling motion rather than swiping to set makeup without disturbing it.
—Clare Holden, Glamour, 2 Apr. 2024
Have cash handy Some payment terminals for swiping your debit or credit card use the same mobile networks as your phone.
—Shira Ovide, Washington Post, 2 Apr. 2024
The suspect allegedly attempted to get through the security gate, where employees swipe in with their badges, by closely following a vehicle in front of him, the official said.
—S. Dev, CBS News, 1 Apr. 2024
In the desert around Scottsdale, Ariz., on Monday, police officers hunted for a member of an international heist ring suspected of swiping jewels and luxury goods from homes across Los Angeles.
—Richard Winton, Los Angeles Times, 16 Mar. 2024
By paying, users can unlock features like unlimited swipes and the ability to see who has swiped on them.
—J. Edward Moreno, New York Times, 12 Mar. 2024
For Samsung phones, swipe down on the shutter button.
—William Neff, Washington Post, 24 Mar. 2024
On Android, swipe down from the top of your screen to bring up your notifications and settings screen.
—Boone Ashworth, WIRED, 12 Mar. 2024
Noun
On the bottom bun is a swipe of something special, the pièce de résistance: white truffle aioli.
—Rachel Bernhard, Journal Sentinel, 1 Apr. 2024
After a couple streak-free swipes and only a few minutes to dry, our tester noticed how lustrous and high-coverage her nails appeared, putting it above others she’s used before.
—Kate Watson, Peoplemag, 16 Mar. 2024
To directly download the file, swipe to the end of the Share To options and tap More.
—Boone Ashworth, WIRED, 12 Mar. 2024
Just a few swipes and my lashes are transformed with a softer, more natural look than black mascara provides for my skin tone.
—Alyssa Brascia, Peoplemag, 30 Mar. 2024
The settlement opens doors for retailers to place surcharges on cards with higher swipe fees, which could make using a premium card with a hefty rewards program more expensive.
—Bailey Schulz, USA TODAY, 30 Mar. 2024
Once the tinting is complete, excess pigment is removed with the help of a Q-tip and a swipe of damp cotton.
—Calin Van Paris, Vogue, 28 Mar. 2024
The settlement is set to lower swipe fees merchants pay when customers make purchases using their Visa or Mastercard by $30 billion over five years, according to a press release announcing the settlement Tuesday morning.
—Nicole Goodkind, CNN, 27 Mar. 2024
For much of the last decade, luxury e-commerce was heralded as the smart way to shop, offering hyped brands, exclusive products, free returns and 90-minute delivery services at the swipe of a button.
—Elizabeth Paton, New York Times, 27 Mar. 2024
Verb
Open your door and swipe the token across the panel, and the alarm would automatically deactivate.
—PCMAG, 10 Apr. 2024
Makeup artist Mai Quynh gave us her top tip when applying pressed powder: Use a sponge or dense brush and apply in a pressing or rolling motion rather than swiping to set makeup without disturbing it.
—Clare Holden, Glamour, 2 Apr. 2024
Have cash handy Some payment terminals for swiping your debit or credit card use the same mobile networks as your phone.
—Shira Ovide, Washington Post, 2 Apr. 2024
The suspect allegedly attempted to get through the security gate, where employees swipe in with their badges, by closely following a vehicle in front of him, the official said.
—S. Dev, CBS News, 1 Apr. 2024
In the desert around Scottsdale, Ariz., on Monday, police officers hunted for a member of an international heist ring suspected of swiping jewels and luxury goods from homes across Los Angeles.
—Richard Winton, Los Angeles Times, 16 Mar. 2024
By paying, users can unlock features like unlimited swipes and the ability to see who has swiped on them.
—J. Edward Moreno, New York Times, 12 Mar. 2024
For Samsung phones, swipe down on the shutter button.
—William Neff, Washington Post, 24 Mar. 2024
On Android, swipe down from the top of your screen to bring up your notifications and settings screen.
—Boone Ashworth, WIRED, 12 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'swipe.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Swipe.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/swipe. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
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swipe
2 of 2 noun
: a strong sweeping blow
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