swipes; swiped; swiping
1
: to reach toward and try to hit (something) with a swinging motion
The cat swiped the dog across the nose.
—usually + atThe cat swiped at the dog.
2
informal
: to steal (something)
They swiped some candy from the store.
She swiped my idea.
3
: to pass (a credit card, ATM card, etc.) through a machine that reads information from it
The cashier swiped the credit card and gave it back to me.
plural swipes
1
informal
: a criticism or insult that is directed toward a particular person or group
She took a swipe at her former company in her latest column.
2
: a swinging movement of a person's hand, an animal's paw, etc., that is done in an attempt to hit something
a swipe of the cat's paw
He took a swipe at the ball. [=he swung at the ball and tried to hit it]
Cite this Entry
“Swipe.” Merriam-Webster.com Simple Definition, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/simple/swipe. Accessed 16 Apr. 2026.
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