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
Yasmin Tayag, The Atlantic, 28 Mar. 2024
In theory, a rival company or wealthy group could swoop in and acquire Trump Media even at these price levels, although Ritter said that’s very unlikely.
—Matt Egan, CNN, 26 Mar. 2024
Craig’s gargantuan tusks swooped low, and his hide seemed to glow with a rich reddish dust that set him apart from the other males trooping nearby.
—Paul Brady, Travel + Leisure, 23 Mar. 2024
Detectives were wrapping up an investigation into a shooting in a McDonald’s parking lot in Northeast Washington when police in unmarked cars swooped in.
—Emily Davies, Washington Post, 23 Mar. 2024
While Sweeney tackles Cecilia’s journey, her longtime collaborator Mohan directs the ever-loving hell out of Lobel’s script, drenching every frame in color, light and shadow, sending cinematographer Elisha Christian’s camera swooping around the characters, into coffins and down dark hallways.
—Katie Walsh, Los Angeles Times, 20 Mar. 2024
Cullen swooped in to buy the festival rights from organizers in December 2022 for $250,000, relocating the celebration to his hometown.
—Heather Mundt, Smithsonian Magazine, 5 Mar. 2024
Between a few flecks of coral in the Indian Ocean, a ribbon of highway more than a mile long swoops up from the blue.
—Maahil Mohamed Elke Scholiers, New York Times, 5 Mar. 2024
The swooping stair banister is original, and rumor has it that, according to marketing materials, it was carved on site.
—Mark David, Robb Report, 19 Mar. 2024
Daley Quinn, Verywell Health, 1 Apr. 2024
On Christmas Day, more than one hundred of the city’s affordable apartments were made uninhabitable in one fell swoop.
—Mya Frazier, Harper's Magazine, 26 Feb. 2024
An orchestra added swoops of strings and injected the song with its pulse while a chorus of young women in matching red pants and white shirts crooned the repetitive chorus.
—Melissa Ruggieri, USA TODAY, 11 Mar. 2024
Everything that had been achieved in Russia since 1985—from the establishment of democratic institutions to the abolition of censorship and the reunification of Russian and European cultures—Putin swept off the table in one fell swoop.
—Andrei Kolesnikov, Foreign Affairs, 7 Mar. 2024
What could be a discouraging moment turns on a dime into a sing-along as Bridgers and Dacus swoop in over and underneath Baker’s vocal, ending a song about things breaking down with a roaring round about bumming quick cash off a friend.
—Vulture, 4 Feb. 2024
Gershwin’s melodic material is spun with enchanting gold thread, from the opening clarinet swoop to the bluesy piano riffs to the epic sentimental melody near journey’s end.
—Ethan Iverson, New York Times, 26 Jan. 2024
Parted a bit off-center, her hair is flipped out and away from her face in voluminous swoops, much like the blowouts that were popular in the '70s.
—Marci Robin, Allure, 24 Nov. 2023
All these activities are planned for you as part of the cruise itinerary—as a way for travelers to sample the diverse wonders of The Last Frontier in one fell swoop.
—Janice Wald Henderson, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 Mar. 2024
Verb
Drink makers have swooped in to capitalize on the ongoing cultural obsession with hydration—one in which Stanley Cups are a must-have item and influencers suggest that clear skin is just a bottle of water away.
—Yasmin Tayag, The Atlantic, 28 Mar. 2024
In theory, a rival company or wealthy group could swoop in and acquire Trump Media even at these price levels, although Ritter said that’s very unlikely.
—Matt Egan, CNN, 26 Mar. 2024
Craig’s gargantuan tusks swooped low, and his hide seemed to glow with a rich reddish dust that set him apart from the other males trooping nearby.
—Paul Brady, Travel + Leisure, 23 Mar. 2024
Detectives were wrapping up an investigation into a shooting in a McDonald’s parking lot in Northeast Washington when police in unmarked cars swooped in.
—Emily Davies, Washington Post, 23 Mar. 2024
While Sweeney tackles Cecilia’s journey, her longtime collaborator Mohan directs the ever-loving hell out of Lobel’s script, drenching every frame in color, light and shadow, sending cinematographer Elisha Christian’s camera swooping around the characters, into coffins and down dark hallways.
—Katie Walsh, Los Angeles Times, 20 Mar. 2024
Cullen swooped in to buy the festival rights from organizers in December 2022 for $250,000, relocating the celebration to his hometown.
—Heather Mundt, Smithsonian Magazine, 5 Mar. 2024
Between a few flecks of coral in the Indian Ocean, a ribbon of highway more than a mile long swoops up from the blue.
—Maahil Mohamed Elke Scholiers, New York Times, 5 Mar. 2024
The swooping stair banister is original, and rumor has it that, according to marketing materials, it was carved on site.
—Mark David, Robb Report, 19 Mar. 2024
Noun
Keep In Mind Some people prefer a tongue scraper that’s wider and allows for a deep clean in one fell swoop.
—Daley Quinn, Verywell Health, 1 Apr. 2024
On Christmas Day, more than one hundred of the city’s affordable apartments were made uninhabitable in one fell swoop.
—Mya Frazier, Harper's Magazine, 26 Feb. 2024
An orchestra added swoops of strings and injected the song with its pulse while a chorus of young women in matching red pants and white shirts crooned the repetitive chorus.
—Melissa Ruggieri, USA TODAY, 11 Mar. 2024
Everything that had been achieved in Russia since 1985—from the establishment of democratic institutions to the abolition of censorship and the reunification of Russian and European cultures—Putin swept off the table in one fell swoop.
—Andrei Kolesnikov, Foreign Affairs, 7 Mar. 2024
What could be a discouraging moment turns on a dime into a sing-along as Bridgers and Dacus swoop in over and underneath Baker’s vocal, ending a song about things breaking down with a roaring round about bumming quick cash off a friend.
—Vulture, 4 Feb. 2024
Gershwin’s melodic material is spun with enchanting gold thread, from the opening clarinet swoop to the bluesy piano riffs to the epic sentimental melody near journey’s end.
—Ethan Iverson, New York Times, 26 Jan. 2024
Parted a bit off-center, her hair is flipped out and away from her face in voluminous swoops, much like the blowouts that were popular in the '70s.
—Marci Robin, Allure, 24 Nov. 2023
All these activities are planned for you as part of the cruise itinerary—as a way for travelers to sample the diverse wonders of The Last Frontier in one fell swoop.
—Janice Wald Henderson, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 Mar. 2024
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 16 Apr. 2024.
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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