swoop

1 of 2

verb

ˈswüp 

swooped; swooping; swoops

intransitive verb

: to move with a sweep

transitive verb

: to gain or carry off in or as if in a swoop

—usually used with up

swooper noun

swoop

2 of 2

noun

1

: an act or instance of swooping

2

: a single concentrated and quickly effective effort

was done in one swoop

—often used with fell

solved 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

Verb

The junta swooped down on militants, dissidents, and innocents alike, conveying them in green Ford Falcons to secret sites without formal charges. —Julia M. Klein, The Atlantic, 11 July 2025

The cashier should have immediately swooped in with a fresh carton and maybe a KitKat or a copy of People as damages. —John Hodgman, New York Times, 11 July 2025

Noun

Renowned nationwide for its abundant natural beauty, Wyoming comes equipped with vast lakes, towering mountains and verdant forests—and to experience all three in one fell swoop, Paintrock Canyon Ranch is the perfect spot. —Jared Ranahan, Forbes.com, 14 July 2025

So, in one fell swoop, this bill will make your home hotter, your air conditioning bill higher, your clean energy job scarcer, America’s auto industry weaker and China happier. —Thomas L. Friedman, Mercury News, 9 July 2025

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

• in/at one fell swoop

Rhymes for swoop

• coop
• coupe
• croup
• droop
• drupe
• dupe
• group
• hoop
• loop
• lupe
• oop
• poop

Kids Definition

swoop

1 of 2 verb

ˈswüp 

: to dive or pounce suddenly like a hawk on its prey

swoop

2 of 2 noun

1

: an act or instance of swooping

2

: a single quickly effective effort

—often used with fell

solved everything at one fell swoop