swath

noun

ˈswäth 

ˈswȯth

variants or swathe

ˈswät͟h 

ˈswȯt͟h, 

ˈswāt͟h 

1

a

: a row of cut grain or grass left by a scythe or mowing machine

b

: the sweep of a scythe or a machine in mowing or the path cut in one course

2

: a long broad strip or belt

3

: a stroke of or as if of a scythe

4

: a space devastated as if by a scythe

Examples of swath in a Sentence

An aerial view of the countryside shows wide swathes of green.

He cut a swath through the field with his scythe.

Recent Examples on the Web

The back-and-forth will result in at least a short government shutdown; funding for large swaths of the government expires on Saturday and the House likely won’t approve it until Monday at the earliest. —Burgess Everett, semafor.com, 31 Jan. 2026

This is a chilling history of a problem still ravaging significant swaths of America — not to mention elsewhere in the world. —Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 31 Jan. 2026

Yes, there's a very pretty swath of sand leading to the Atlantic Ocean, where lifeguards keep watch every day of the year. —Beth Luberecki, USA Today, 31 Jan. 2026

Amid the crackdown, Renee Good, 37, and Alex Pretti, 37, were both shot and killed by federal immigration authorities in separate confrontations, incensing large swaths of the nation. —Matt Lavietes, NBC news, 30 Jan. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Old English swæth footstep, trace; akin to Middle High German swade swath

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for swath

• broth
• cloth
• doth
• froth
• goth
• loth
• moth
• wroth
• broadcloth
• cheesecloth
• loincloth
• neckcloth

Kids Definition

swath

noun

ˈswäth 

ˈswȯth

variants or swathe

ˈswät͟h 

ˈswȯt͟h, 

ˈswāt͟h

1

a

: the sweep of a scythe or machine in mowing or the path cut in one course

b

: a row of cut grain or grass

2

: a long broad strip or belt

3

: a space destroyed as if by a mowing machine