side·swipe
ˈsīd-ˌswīp 
sideswiped; sideswiping; sideswipes
: to strike with a glancing blow along the side
sideswiped a parked car
1
a
: the action of sideswiping
b
: an instance of sideswiping : a glancing blow
2
: an incidental deprecatory remark, allusion, or reference
Examples of sideswipe in a Sentence
Verb
The taxi sideswiped a parked car.
Noun
She took a sideswipe at the senator's voting record.
Recent Examples on the Web
Jenna West, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2025
The guy whose first season was sideswiped by an injury to his starting quarterback – who now looks like a legit SEC starter – instead of the guy who chose poorly when throwing money at a transfer portal quarterback.
—Matt Hayes, USA TODAY, 12 Sep. 2025
Joe Reid, Vulture, 7 Sep. 2025
Electrons in the magnetic field sideswipe oxygen atoms or nitrogen molecules in the Earth's atmosphere.
—Jenna Prestininzi, Freep.com, 8 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sideswipe
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Verb
At times, fill-in left tackle Justin Skule was sideswiped.
—Jenna West, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2025
The guy whose first season was sideswiped by an injury to his starting quarterback – who now looks like a legit SEC starter – instead of the guy who chose poorly when throwing money at a transfer portal quarterback.
—Matt Hayes, USA TODAY, 12 Sep. 2025
Noun
If Knives Out and Glass Onion were sideswipes at the anti-immigrant right and Silicon Valley fascists, respectively, Wake Up Dead Man is Rian Johnson taking dead aim at Trump and his band of hard-liners.
—Joe Reid, Vulture, 7 Sep. 2025
Electrons in the magnetic field sideswipe oxygen atoms or nitrogen molecules in the Earth's atmosphere.
—Jenna Prestininzi, Freep.com, 8 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sideswipe
Cite this Entry
“Sideswipe.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sideswipe. Accessed 2 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
sideswipe
1 of 2 verb
side·swipe
-ˌswīp
: to hit along the side with a blow that bounces off at an angle
sideswiped a parked car
sideswipe
2 of 2 noun1
: an instance of sideswiping : a blow from an angle that bounces off
2
: an indirectly related disapproving remark, allusion, or reference
a sideswipe at the senator's voting record
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