swoop

1 of 2

verb

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Verb
The One Battle After Another actress wore a sculptural, avant garde butter yellow two-piece, complete with a swooping bra and cape detail. Meg Walters, InStyle, 4 Jan. 2026 But swooping into a foreign capital and kidnapping another country’s de facto leader, so he can be tried in your country’s criminal courts, is well outside the bounds of international law, however tyrannical that leader may be. Graeme Wood, The Atlantic, 3 Jan. 2026
Noun
Swap symmetrical arched tips for diagonal swoop tips. Rebecca Norris, InStyle, 31 Dec. 2025 Everybody, from super-fans to beauty editors and makeup artists alike, has studied the look, which includes a precise swipe of blue-red lipstick and a swoop of liquid liner. Calin Van Paris, Vogue, 23 Dec. 2025 See All Example Sentences for swoop

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of swoop was in 1566

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Swoop.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/swoop. Accessed 9 Jan. 2026.

Kids Definition

swoop

1 of 2 verb
: 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

More from Merriam-Webster on swoop

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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