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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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Florida was once a swing state—backing former President Barack Obama in 2008 and 2012. Andrew Stanton, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Nov. 2025 Feds are swarming the swing state. Christopher Cann, USA Today, 20 Nov. 2025 Dozens of people listed were charged in multiple swing states that were the center of unfounded claims of election fraud, including Georgia, Nevada, Arizona and Wisconsin. NPR, 11 Nov. 2025 The drop in voter participation was even greater for non-White voters living in majority-minority counties in swing states, who were the most likely group to see such ads. David Smiley, Miami Herald, 7 Nov. 2025 See All Example Sentences for swing state

Word History

First Known Use

1952, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of swing state was in 1952

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Cite this Entry

“Swing state.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/swing%20state. Accessed 29 Nov. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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