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

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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

No more swipes The beginning of the end for BART paper tickets began at the 19th Street Station in Oakland on Monday. — Taylor Kate Brown, SFChronicle.com, "Bay Briefing: End of the line for BART paper tickets," 6 Aug. 2019 After just a few swipes, the dirt and oil were once again visibly lifted from my pores, and my face felt super smooth, just like last time. — Jenna Wirth, Health.com, "I Used A Pore Vacuum To Suction Out My Blackheads—and It Actually Worked," 2 Aug. 2019 Related Articles Under a new law, drivers who hold their phone behind the wheel or otherwise swipe, type, scroll or view content on their cellphones will be subject to tickets and fines. — Dana Ferguson, Twin Cities, "Beware ‘slowpokes’ in the left lane, Minnesota state law to change Aug. 1," 29 July 2019 My mother would make a swipe across the plate with her fork, then reach for the good stuff: the tomato sandwich my husband offered on a Dixie paper plate, as though this were caviar being served on good china in a swanky restaurant. — Beth Thames | Bethmthames@gmail.com, al.com, "The secret tomato sandwich," 2 July 2019 Getting the best Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals goes hand in hand with lots of online shopping, chaos, crowds, and credit card swipes, but the holiday also means amazing savings on items big and small. — Tiffany Dodson, SELF, "The Best Black Friday and Cyber Monday 2018 Deals From All of Your Favorite Stores and Brands," 20 Nov. 2018 In the meantime, nearly elite speed is helping him beat out infield hits, stretch singles into doubles and doubles into triples and swipe bases (31-for-41 this year), as well as allowing him to compete on either side of second base. — San Diego Union-Tribune, "Minors: Padres prospect Xavier Edwards a fast study in California League," 22 Aug. 2019 While in pursuit, police saw Walker side swipe another vehicle at a high rate of speed and continue on. — Carol Robinson | Crobinson@al.com, al, "Felon held on $1.5 million bond after leading lawmen on chase," 19 Aug. 2019 Other regulators and politicians are lining up to take a swipe at Big Tech, and not just in America. — The Economist, "Facebook says it will behave better from now on," 18 July 2019

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

Software updates: Apple announced in June that iOS 13 will feature a dark mode to save on battery life, a way to silence unknown callers and a tool that allows you to swipe to type, rather than lifting your fingers. — Samantha Murphy Kelly, CNN, "The iPhone rumors you should know ahead of Apple's big event," 9 Sep. 2019 The journalist then encouraged her followers to swipe to the next photo of a sign revealing the location was sold out. — Robyn Merrett, PEOPLE.com, "Popeyes Reveals They've Sold Out of Their Chicken Sandwich But Pinky Swears It'll Be Back 'for Good'," 27 Aug. 2019 On Saturday, Lorenzo Cain was thrown out trying to swipe third, and Yelich followed with what would have been an RBI double. — Jr Radcliffe, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Diamondbacks 5, Brewers 2: Davies struggles again and bats can't overcome early deficit," 25 Aug. 2019 As her sister Rosie tries to track her down, you'll be captivated, and possibly terrified to swipe right. — Lindsay Tigar, CNN Underscored, "These Amazon best-selling books are the ultimate beach reads," 25 July 2019 Finger swiping on the screen comes naturally to younger adults raised with electronics in their hands, not so much for older adults. — David Lindeman, The Conversation, "How technology could be a solution to caregiver shortage for seniors," 25 July 2019 In the latter two regions, most piracy takes the form of petty theft: someone clambers aboard a ship docked at port to swipe a few items or mug a sailor. — The Economist, "West Africa has become the world’s piracy hotspot," 3 July 2019 President Donald Trump has repeatedly swiped at Silicon Valley in recent months, at one point last month threatening unspecified lawsuits against Facebook and Google. — Craig Timberg, The Denver Post, "Justice Department announces broad antitrust review of big tech," 23 July 2019 Another 100,000 riders swipe in daily at the Times Square-42nd Street station. — Paul Berger, WSJ, "New York’s MTA Plans Retail Revamp of Highly Trafficked Subway Stations," 16 June 2019

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.