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

Helm is the curious, mercurial, impish, affectionate and dangerous air current of the English Pennines, swooping over the Eden District from prehistory until now. —The Know, Denver Post, 29 Mar. 2026

Hours later, OpenAI swooped in to secure its own Pentagon deal, agreeing to terms that critics say offer far weaker protections. —Andrew Rasiej, New York Daily News, 22 Mar. 2026

Noun

But surprisingly, the curves and swoops are contentious among experts, and some argue that cursive does not add any real value for students, especially in the age of artificial intelligence. —Ava Berger, NPR, 19 Mar. 2026

The 39-year-old photographer from Beirut captured a stunning sequence of images in the early hours of Wednesday, showing an IDF missile demolishing a tower block in one fell swoop. —Raf Sanchez, NBC news, 19 Mar. 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