take a swipe at

idiom

1

informal : to direct criticism or insults toward (a particular person or group)

She took a swipe at her former company in her latest column.

2

: to try to hit (someone or something) by moving something

The batter took a swipe at the ball and missed.

Examples of take a swipe at in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

But Illinois’ last prominent statewide politician who went to federal prison, former Democratic Gov. Rod Blagojevich, held back on the chance to take a swipe at a bitter nemesis when Madigan was sentenced. —Olivia Olander, Chicago Tribune, 14 June 2025

Harden tried to take a swipe at Gordon’s face, setting Gordon off. —Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 26 Apr. 2025

Gordon stepped in before Harden appeared to take a swipe at Gordon. —Thomas G. Moukawsher, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 Apr. 2025

While Kendrick Lamar used the halftime stage to take a swipe at his longtime rival, Drake, and now, just weeks later, the 38-year-old Canadian rapper has now called off the rest of his Australia and New Zealand tour. —Maggie Ekberg, SPIN, 26 Feb. 2025

Rhymes for take a swipe at

• acrobat
• autocrat
• automat
• bundesrat
• bureaucrat
• butterfat
• caveat
• chemostat
• copycat
• cryostat
• democrat
• diplomat