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.
Tom Masland et al.If he is so polarizing, how was he elected five times in a swing state?—Nancy Gibbs et al.
Nancy Gibbs et al.Examples of swing state in a Sentence
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Of the 50 states, only seven currently reside in the swing state column—Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, and Michigan are often viewed as the most key, followed by Georgia, Nevada, North Carolina, and Arizona.
—Tom Rogers, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Sep. 2025
Distracting me with worry about hostile powerbrokers in the biggest city of the most important swing state.
—Brittany Shepherd, ABC News, 23 Sep. 2025
Among his first actions during his first full term in Congress was voting against certifying former President Joe Biden's 2020 election victory in the key swing states of Arizona and Pennsylvania.
—Lawrence Andrea, jsonline.com, 23 Sep. 2025
According to a New York Times analysis of available voter registration numbers, the Democratic Party is hemorrhaging voters across the board and particularly in swing states.
—The Denver Post Editorial Board, Denver Post, 16 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for swing state
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Tom Rogers, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Sep. 2025
Distracting me with worry about hostile powerbrokers in the biggest city of the most important swing state.
—Brittany Shepherd, ABC News, 23 Sep. 2025
Among his first actions during his first full term in Congress was voting against certifying former President Joe Biden's 2020 election victory in the key swing states of Arizona and Pennsylvania.
—Lawrence Andrea, jsonline.com, 23 Sep. 2025
According to a New York Times analysis of available voter registration numbers, the Democratic Party is hemorrhaging voters across the board and particularly in swing states.
—The Denver Post Editorial Board, Denver Post, 16 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for swing state
Cite this Entry
“Swing state.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/swing%20state. Accessed 1 Oct. 2025.
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