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 primary suite includes a massive all-white bathroom with swooping curves, and elsewhere there’s a walk-in wine cellar for storing your bottle collection. —Tori Latham, Robb Report, 21 Nov. 2025

While tech stocks have also come under pressure, investors have been swooping in to the buy the dip. —John Towfighi, CNN Money, 18 Nov. 2025

Noun

Nuclear fusion, a scientific endeavor that would, if it were achieved in a scalable, widely-deployable fashion, solve the energy and climate crises in one fell swoop, receives less funding, annually, than peanut subsidies do in the United States. —Big Think, 28 Nov. 2025

Dry and straighten your hair in one fell swoop with this tool that doesn’t come with traditional hot plates. —Toni Sutton, PEOPLE, 28 Nov. 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