swooped; swooping; swoops
: to move with a sweep
: to gain or carry off in or as if in a swoop
—usually used with up
swooper
noun
1
: an act or instance of swooping
2
: a single concentrated and quickly effective effort
was done in one swoop
—often used with fellsolved everything at one fell swoop
Examples of swoop in a Sentence
Verb
The police swooped in and captured the criminals.
Recent Examples on the Web
Erin Clack, Peoplemag, 8 Nov. 2023
And businesses have swooped in to take advantage of complex laws and cases in which heirs dispute ownership to pick apart properties piece by piece.
—Patrik Jonsson, The Christian Science Monitor, 3 Nov. 2023
And then periodically, Bertha and/or George will swoop in to absolutely tear one or more of them to shreds.
—Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 30 Oct. 2023
A lot of them would be playing No Limit and Cash Money, and then from there, that’s where my uncle swooped in and gave me my first Goodie Mob CD.
—Okla Jones, Essence, 30 Oct. 2023
In the early fall, ospreys, hawks and eagles swoop in, screeching and hungry.
—Adam Erace, WSJ, 12 Oct. 2023
And despite the Hollywood image of the FBI swooping in and big-footing the locals, in most cases – like the Idaho student murders, the Gilgo Beach serial killer case, or any number of active shooter situations – the FBI brings the full raft of bureau resources in a support role.
—Elizabeth Wolfe, CNN, 3 Oct. 2023
Though the tale of an out-of-town firm swooping in at the last minute to save a historic factory may pull at the heartstrings, Ford says the deal wasn’t only about preserving American-made.
—Eric Twardzik, Robb Report, 28 Sep. 2023
And, of course, Monday will forever be celebrated for swooping in and rescuing the American flag from two protesters about it to set it afire in the Dodger Stadium outfield.
—Bill Shaikin, Los Angeles Times, 20 Sep. 2023
Phil Wahba, Fortune, 13 Oct. 2023
Aside from the aforementioned Dyson deals, score savings on the GHD Hair Straightener that Anne Hathaway’s hairstylist Adir Abergel swears by and a styling brush that acts as a portable glam squad—drying, smoothing, and curling in one fell swoop.
—Kiana Murden, Vogue, 11 Oct. 2023
Neutral Tones Meet the new white manicure, featuring swoops of negative space.
—Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 10 Oct. 2023
The economy is primarily dependent on exports of raw materials like cocoa, oil and gold, which peak and swoop in price.
—Patricia Cohen, New York Times, 18 Sep. 2023
The Microsoft project aims to teach AI how to use any and all digital tools in one fell swoop, a clever and efficient approach.
—Bruce Schneier, WIRED, 29 Aug. 2023
My daughter, who is almost one, loved the Panisse and Kohlrabi, an elegant, cerebral appetizer made up of rounds of airy chickpea flan that is quickly fried for a crispy exterior and served with a little pile of dressed kohlrabi and a swoop of hot sauce.
—Helen Rosner, The New Yorker, 1 Oct. 2023
Lucky for you, the best Sephora gifts have been released well ahead of the holidays — meaning everyone on your list can be crossed off in one fell swoop.
—Shanna Shipin, Allure, 28 Sep. 2023
The swoop of a spectator’s wide-brimmed hat reflects light by the practice courts with the same intensity of a young fan’s jumbo, neon green tennis ball awaiting an autograph.
—Karsten Moran, New York Times, 10 Sep. 2023
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Verb
Just minutes after the delivery driver left the $45 order on the front porch of their home in the Orlando suburb of Longwood, a large black bear swooped in and swiped the meal, according to Fox 35 Orlando.
—Erin Clack, Peoplemag, 8 Nov. 2023
And businesses have swooped in to take advantage of complex laws and cases in which heirs dispute ownership to pick apart properties piece by piece.
—Patrik Jonsson, The Christian Science Monitor, 3 Nov. 2023
And then periodically, Bertha and/or George will swoop in to absolutely tear one or more of them to shreds.
—Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 30 Oct. 2023
A lot of them would be playing No Limit and Cash Money, and then from there, that’s where my uncle swooped in and gave me my first Goodie Mob CD.
—Okla Jones, Essence, 30 Oct. 2023
In the early fall, ospreys, hawks and eagles swoop in, screeching and hungry.
—Adam Erace, WSJ, 12 Oct. 2023
And despite the Hollywood image of the FBI swooping in and big-footing the locals, in most cases – like the Idaho student murders, the Gilgo Beach serial killer case, or any number of active shooter situations – the FBI brings the full raft of bureau resources in a support role.
—Elizabeth Wolfe, CNN, 3 Oct. 2023
Though the tale of an out-of-town firm swooping in at the last minute to save a historic factory may pull at the heartstrings, Ford says the deal wasn’t only about preserving American-made.
—Eric Twardzik, Robb Report, 28 Sep. 2023
And, of course, Monday will forever be celebrated for swooping in and rescuing the American flag from two protesters about it to set it afire in the Dodger Stadium outfield.
—Bill Shaikin, Los Angeles Times, 20 Sep. 2023
Noun
Coach closed 25% of its stores in one fell swoop in 2014, dialed back its discount outlet business, and eventually ended up removing half the products in its cluttered assortment.
—Phil Wahba, Fortune, 13 Oct. 2023
Aside from the aforementioned Dyson deals, score savings on the GHD Hair Straightener that Anne Hathaway’s hairstylist Adir Abergel swears by and a styling brush that acts as a portable glam squad—drying, smoothing, and curling in one fell swoop.
—Kiana Murden, Vogue, 11 Oct. 2023
Neutral Tones Meet the new white manicure, featuring swoops of negative space.
—Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 10 Oct. 2023
The economy is primarily dependent on exports of raw materials like cocoa, oil and gold, which peak and swoop in price.
—Patricia Cohen, New York Times, 18 Sep. 2023
The Microsoft project aims to teach AI how to use any and all digital tools in one fell swoop, a clever and efficient approach.
—Bruce Schneier, WIRED, 29 Aug. 2023
My daughter, who is almost one, loved the Panisse and Kohlrabi, an elegant, cerebral appetizer made up of rounds of airy chickpea flan that is quickly fried for a crispy exterior and served with a little pile of dressed kohlrabi and a swoop of hot sauce.
—Helen Rosner, The New Yorker, 1 Oct. 2023
Lucky for you, the best Sephora gifts have been released well ahead of the holidays — meaning everyone on your list can be crossed off in one fell swoop.
—Shanna Shipin, Allure, 28 Sep. 2023
The swoop of a spectator’s wide-brimmed hat reflects light by the practice courts with the same intensity of a young fan’s jumbo, neon green tennis ball awaiting an autograph.
—Karsten Moran, New York Times, 10 Sep. 2023
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These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'swoop.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
Verb
alteration of Middle English swopen to sweep, from Old English swāpan — more at sweep
First Known Use
Verb
1566, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense
Noun
1605, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Phrases Containing swoop
Articles Related to swoop
Dictionary Entries Near swoop
Cite this Entry
“Swoop.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/swoop. Accessed 30 Nov. 2023.
Copy Citation
Kids Definition
swoop
1 of 2 verb
: to dive or pounce suddenly like a hawk on its prey
swoop
2 of 2 noun1
: an act or instance of swooping
2
: a single quickly effective effort
—often used with fell
solved everything at one fell swoop
More from Merriam-Webster on swoop
Nglish: Translation of swoop for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of swoop for Arabic Speakers
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