swipe

noun

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\ 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)

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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 In response to a question Wallace asked about Trump’s beliefs regarding the effectiveness of wearing masks to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, Trump took a swipe at Biden. — NBC News, "These are the internet's favorite memes from the first presidential debate of 2020," 30 Sep. 2020 Switching between apps with a quick horizontal swipe is handy. — Ron Amadeo, Ars Technica, "Android 11—The Ars Technica Review," 23 Sep. 2020 Cameron Jordan took a swipe at Bucs fans and compared the mellow atmosphere on Sunday to playing at Tampa. — Jarrett Bell, USA TODAY, "Opinion: Empty NFL stadiums leave players with 'eerie feelings,' sense of loss for environment," 15 Sep. 2020 Kamala Harris praised her own sharp debate swipe skills in a comment that hit an awkward note considering her famous debate attack at her running mate Joe Biden in 2019. — Emily Larsen, Washington Examiner, "'Besides myself?': Kamala Harris says she threw best 'shade' in Democratic primary debates," 25 Sep. 2020 Rob Havenstein was barely able to put a hand on Lawrence, who used masterful sequencing from a failed cross chop to a side scissor (two-hand swipe) to beat Havenstein’s hands and grease the edge on his way to Goff. — John Owning, Dallas News, "Film room: The real reason Cowboys DE DeMarcus Lawrence isn’t meeting expectations as a pass rusher," 23 Sep. 2020 At a finger swipe across a smartphone, investors can access their accounts and see how their portfolios are doing. — Claire Hastwell, Fortune, "The Best Workplaces for Women are expanding the turf for women in finance," 18 Sep. 2020 Each episode will also include swipe-up features, providing viewers with ways to get involved in the fight for equality — which includes being registered to vote. — Maria Pasquini, PEOPLE.com, "Jaden Smith and Celeb Pals, Including Hailey Baldwin, Team Up for Snapchat Series About Activism," 17 Sep. 2020 Going back to the previous screen in Android requires a swipe in from the left or right edge. — Julian Chokkattu, Wired, "The 11 Best New Features in Android 11," 8 Sep. 2020 Recent Examples on the Web: Verb They are asked to swipe their skin with a wipe which is then put into a jar and given to a dog waiting in a separate booth. — Jari Tanner, chicagotribune.com, "Finland deploys coronavirus-sniffing dogs at main airport," 23 Sep. 2020 Just swipe the notification drawer down and tap the Screen Record notification to stop. — Julian Chokkattu, Wired, "The 11 Best New Features in Android 11," 8 Sep. 2020 Ruta smiles, as mothers do when their boys swipe pastries at any age. — Amy Thielen, Saveur, "Cooking Lessons from the Latvian Countryside," 10 Oct. 2018 The 31-year-old middle-school teacher happened to swipe right on the Hinge profile of Mayor Pete Buttigieg of South Bend, Indiana, several years ago. — David Oliver, USA TODAY, "Chasten Buttigieg talks Biden, quarantine and new memoir: 'I wanted to write my real story'," 31 Aug. 2020 Phillips, the third-round pick out of LSU, has a chance to come in and swipe a starting job from one of the Browns’ veterans. — cleveland, "12 last-minute thoughts as Cleveland Browns 2020 training camp opens today," 14 Aug. 2020 When you’re done with an app, just swipe up to close it. — Jacob Krol, CNN Underscored, "Microsoft’s Surface Duo, a dual screen phone, lands Sept. 10 for $1,399," 12 Aug. 2020 After applying hair products, swipe a cleansing wipe across your face, and try to keep hair products away from your hairline. — Kristin Koch, Seventeen, "30 Dermatologist-Tested Tips for Getting Rid of Acne, Like, REALLY Fast," 1 Aug. 2020 So, the Safety Suite opens and the houseguests have one hour to decide to swipe their VIP passes and play. — Kyle Fowle, EW.com, "Big Brother recap: A new twist and the first nominations for the chopping block," 10 Aug. 2020

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.