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.
Raffensperger is similar to Kemp in that he’s shown a capability to push back against President Donald Trump, which could attract Democratic or centrist Republican voters in the swing state but could also alienate core Trump voters. Ross O'Keefe, The Washington Examiner, 22 May 2025 Keisha Lance Bottoms, a former mayor of Atlanta, entered the race for governor of Georgia on Tuesday, becoming the highest-profile Democrat in an election that will test the durability of Georgia’s relatively new status as a swing state. Rick Rojas, New York Times, 20 May 2025 But Harris ended up losing the election to Trump, who won all seven swing states. Hilary Lewis, HollywoodReporter, 8 May 2025 Americans Weigh In Trump's approval rating is also underwater in the seven swing states of Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, according to the poll. Khaleda Rahman, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 May 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 31 May. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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