swing state

noun

plural swing states

US politics : a U.S. state in which Republican and Democratic candidates have similar levels of support and which is considered to play a key role in the outcome of presidential elections

The politics of immigration in Florida, a key swing state, are not as clear as they are in California.

—Tom Masland et al.

If he is so polarizing, how was he elected five times in a swing state?

—Nancy Gibbs et al.

Examples of swing state in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

In 2024, Latinos were the pivotal vote that delivered swing states to Trump. — Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 25 Sep. 2026

North Carolina, another swing state, with an open Senate seat in play, now faces a Canadian tariff affecting its big furniture industry. — The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 24 Sep. 2026

County leaders need real, tangible organizing support in red and purple districts, and the national party needs New York to halt its slide toward becoming a swing state. — Caitlin Ogden, New York Daily News, 23 Sep. 2026

Those results, however, were no better than traditional polling in the swing states conducted by CNN and The New York Times. — W. Joseph Campbell, The Conversation, 22 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1952, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for swing state

• abate
• airfreight
• await
• baseplate
• berate
• birthdate
• birthrate
• bookplate
• borate
• breastplate
• bromate
• casemate