swipe

noun

\ˈswīp

Definition of swipe

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : a strong sweeping blow a swipe of a paw

2 : a sharp often critical remark took a parting swipe at management

swipe

verb

swiped; swiping

Definition of swipe (Entry 2 of 2)

intransitive verb

: to strike or move with a sweeping motion

transitive verb

1 : to strike or wipe with a sweeping motion

2 : steal, pilfer

3 : to slide (a card with a magnetic strip or bar code) through a slot in a reading device so that information stored on the strip can be processed (as in making a purchase)

Synonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about swipe

Keep scrolling for more

Examples of swipe in a Sentence

Noun

She took a swipe at her former company in her latest column. a swipe of the cat's paw

Verb

The cat swiped the dog across the nose. They swiped some candy from the store. The cashier swiped the credit card and gave it back to me.

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

Hell, Nick is the one who was running around Canada, right under Fred’s nose, handing over secret packages to Luke, effectively torpedoing his boss’ international mission in a single swipe. — refinery29.com, "The Handmaid's Tale," 14 June 2018 Calley and Schuette continued the atmosphere of the previous night's debate with swipes at each other on a variety of issues. — Kathleen Gray, Detroit Free Press, "Bitter talk between Mich. gov. hopefuls tackles sharia law, terrorism," 10 May 2018 Kardashian’s arm is covered in different shades of brown and black, and there are even a few swipes of what looks like nude and golden options. — Zoe Weiner, Allure, "Kim Kardashian Teased a Possible KKW Beauty Eyeliner Launch on Instagram," 12 July 2018 Matt Sorrells stole five bases for Oswego, including a swipe of home on a double steal in the second which got the Panthers on the board. — Paul Johnson, Aurora Beacon-News, "Say Hejza: Cal Hejza drives in JD Miller for winning run as Oswego edges Waubonsie in summer regional," 9 July 2018 There were the usual swipes at the Justice Department, the media and the National Football League’s new national anthem policy. — Karla Peterson, sandiegouniontribune.com, "President Trump's #MeToo actions are worse than his words," 6 July 2018 Sticky, sweet baklava, the treat of countless kebab shops, is elegantly reconfigured with walnut and warm apricot and a swipe of fresh farmer’s cheese. — Garrett Snyder, Los Angeles Magazine, "Restaurant Review: Ori Menashe’s Bavel Pushes Mideast Cuisine to New Heights," 21 June 2018 Looking sensational in Ann Hould-Ward's costumes, Rose's Carmen wraps herself around the men and takes contemptuous swipes at the women, never relinquishing her control even when Joe is ordered to lead her off to the guardhouse for picking fights. — David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, "'Carmen Jones': Theater Review," 28 June 2018 If the swipe Ryan took was sincere, that would make two Republican Congressman who’ve gone after the House Speaker this week. — Adam K. Raymond, Daily Intelligencer, "GOP Congressman Tweets, Then Deletes Jab at Paul Ryan," 21 June 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

So out went the yuletide beast to become an ever-so-brief Twitter celebrity and eventual souvenir for the ultra-completist Florida State fan who came along and swiped it before the garbage collector arrived. — Andy Staples, SI.com, "The Message Behind the Money: How Texas A&M Landed Jimbo Fisher," 28 June 2018 He mock-swiped on Tinder for his friend with the audience’s help, participated in a dance battle, rapped about his merch, and pretended to Skype with his brother. — Taylor Lorenz, The Atlantic, "YouTube Star Jake Paul’s Fame Is Fading," 16 June 2018 Users can also swipe horizontally on the pill to switch between recent apps. — Jared Newman, PCWorld, "Android P: More AI, fewer disruptions, and a nod to the iPhone X," 8 May 2018 As customers lined up, a relative of the cashier standing by would swipe his or her card on the customer’s behalf and pocket the cash. — Karan Mahajan, The New Republic, "After the Strongman," 26 Mar. 2018 Authorities in Luzerne County have charged 48-year-old Leahman Glenn Robert Potter with burglary, criminal trespass and theft by unlawful taking for allegedly swiping a pot of meatballs from a man's garage on Monday. — CBS News, "Man with red sauce on face charged with stealing meatballs," 27 Feb. 2018 The 18-year-old Mexican outfielder hit his seventh homer, drove in four runs, reached base five times and swiped his fifth base in low Single-A Fort Wayne’s doubleheader sweep – 8-3 and 6-3 – on Sunday over visiting West Michigan. — Jeff Sanders, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Tirso Ornelas a key in TinCaps' doubleheader sweep," 25 June 2018 The song cards can be sent to a friend one-on-one, to a group or to their Story, and interested recipients can easily listen to the track by swiping up. — Billboard Staff, Billboard, "Pandora Teams With Snapchat for Easier Song Discovery," 14 June 2018 Instead, many of the former home button functions, like going from an app back to the main screen, are carried out by swiping up from the bottom of the display. — Don Reisinger, Fortune, "Apple Co-Founder Steve Wozniak Still Doesn't Like the iPhone X's Home Button," 4 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'swipe.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.