as in to hit
US
to cause the side of a vehicle to come into forceful contact with the side of another vehicle
The taxi sideswiped a parked car.
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of sideswipe
After sideswiping a tractor-trailer, Garrison would pull over while the spotter sped ahead to flag down the truck’s driver.
—
Patrick Radden Keefe, New Yorker, 13 Apr. 2026
Authorities allege Brumley was behind the wheel of a southbound Mitsubishi sedan that sideswiped a northbound sports utility vehicle.
—David Hernandez, San Francisco Chronicle, 1 Apr. 2026
His car sideswiped a wooden bridge.
—Dave Duffey, Outdoor Life, 26 Mar. 2026
The Mazda6 driver exited onto Ohio 747 where the vehicle sideswiped a silver SUV before driving northbound.
—Gillian Stawiszynski, Cincinnati Enquirer, 23 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for sideswipe
Patrick Radden Keefe, New Yorker, 13 Apr. 2026
Authorities allege Brumley was behind the wheel of a southbound Mitsubishi sedan that sideswiped a northbound sports utility vehicle.
—David Hernandez, San Francisco Chronicle, 1 Apr. 2026
His car sideswiped a wooden bridge.
—Dave Duffey, Outdoor Life, 26 Mar. 2026
The Mazda6 driver exited onto Ohio 747 where the vehicle sideswiped a silver SUV before driving northbound.
—Gillian Stawiszynski, Cincinnati Enquirer, 23 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for sideswipe
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sideswipe
Verb
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The Rockies’ Kyle Karros hit an opposite-field line drive that carried to the right-field warning track, but Lee tracked down the potential extra-base hit on the run, then crashed into the chain-link portion of the fence.—
Justice delos Santos,
Mercury News,
30 May 2026
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The hitting coaches have been really emphasizing it.—
Jeff Fletcher,
Oc Register,
30 May 2026
Verb
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To alleviate all that blockiness and bulk, the architects chiseled it like a block of marble, shaving here, notching there, bumping out, and pulling in to give it interest in the round.—
Justin Davidson,
Curbed,
4 June 2026
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This will bump their salaries above $101,000.—
Willie Wilson,
Chicago Tribune,
4 June 2026
Verb
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A lot else can happen when a man is going 978 games in a row without swiping any bases.—
Jayson Stark,
New York Times,
29 May 2026
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The outer display is a fluid experience, from tapping the lower-right corner of the screen to access notifications to swiping to open panels like my calendar, local weather, games, and apps.—
Kimberly Gedeon,
PC Magazine,
28 May 2026
Verb
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If the parent does not do so, DCF must undertake a series of actions including contacting the local child welfare or law enforcement agency to do an in-person welfare check.—
Laura Tillman,
Hartford Courant,
2 June 2026
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Anyone with information related to the case can contact Detective Sgt.—
Jason Green,
Mercury News,
2 June 2026
Verb
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And in the southeast, one peacekeeper with the United Nations Interim Force died and two others were injured after a mortar shell struck their position.—
Frederik Pleitgen,
CNN Money,
5 June 2026
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An officer had to dodge the vehicle to avoid being struck, according to the district attorney’s statement.—
Seamus Bozeman
Follow,
Los Angeles Times,
4 June 2026
Verb
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The teen got in his car, then rammed into his father’s truck, officials wrote.—
Eleanor Nash,
Kansas City Star,
2 June 2026
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And in the West Bank, emergency responders said a 17-year-old Israeli girl was in serious condition and a 15-year-old also was hurt in what police described as a ramming attack near a bus stop at Gush Etzion Junction.—
Samy Magdy,
Los Angeles Times,
1 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Sideswipe.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sideswipe. Accessed 6 Jun. 2026.
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