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.
The Democratic Party will look to pick up disappointed Americans from the swing states for the 2028 presidential election. Sophie Clark, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 May 2025 Trump pressured Pence to reject election results from swing states where the Republican president claimed the vote was marred by fraud. Arkansas Online, 5 May 2025 Trump publicly pressured Pence to reject 2020 election results from swing states where the Republican president falsely claimed the vote was marred by fraud. Alexis Simendinger, The Hill, 5 May 2025 Smartmatic equipment was only used in Los Angeles County and in none of the swing states that decided the outcome, a fact that was communicated to Fox News at the time. Stephen Battaglio, Los Angeles Times, 30 Apr. 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 21 May. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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