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
Recent Examples on the Web
Trump’s affordability tour has taken him to Michigan, Pennsylvania and North Carolina as the White House tries to marshal the president’s political power to appeal to voters in key swing states.
—Seung Min Kim, Fortune, 27 Jan. 2026
Suburban backlash Cruz warned that aggressive rhetoric could further push away suburban voters, particularly women, who helped Democrats flip Senate seats in swing states such as Arizona and Georgia.
—Joseph Morton, Dallas Morning News, 27 Jan. 2026
The most contested swing states — Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Michigan — also were tight and well within the margin of error, per NBC News.
—Ted Johnson, Deadline, 26 Jan. 2026
But the fact that Republican lawmakers from a swing state are already voicing doubts doesn’t bode well.
—Eleanor Mueller, semafor.com, 26 Jan. 2026
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Seung Min Kim, Fortune, 27 Jan. 2026
Suburban backlash Cruz warned that aggressive rhetoric could further push away suburban voters, particularly women, who helped Democrats flip Senate seats in swing states such as Arizona and Georgia.
—Joseph Morton, Dallas Morning News, 27 Jan. 2026
The most contested swing states — Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Michigan — also were tight and well within the margin of error, per NBC News.
—Ted Johnson, Deadline, 26 Jan. 2026
But the fact that Republican lawmakers from a swing state are already voicing doubts doesn’t bode well.
—Eleanor Mueller, semafor.com, 26 Jan. 2026
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 Feb. 2026.
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