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 limestone around the stadium’s perimeter gently swoops up and down in a move that recalls the gracefully curved bowl of Ryan Field’s earlier iteration. — Edward Keegan, Chicago Tribune, 19 Sep. 2026

Bats swooped above the crowd’s shoulders, catching mosquitos. — Sean MacAday, Sacbee.com, 19 Sep. 2026

Noun

Salt-Roasted Beet Salad Roasted beets pair with fresh herbs, fennel, spiced pepitas, and a swoop of strained yogurt. — Ginger Crichton, Midwest Living, 17 Sep. 2026

Most recently, Collet-Serra saw Vertical swoop in with theatrical release plans for his Cliffhanger reboot starring Lily James and Pierce Brosnan. — Matt Grobar, Deadline, 16 Sep. 2026

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