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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Lightning hits the United States approximately 25 million times annually.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
13 June 2026
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Right fielder Jung Hoo Lee saw his 18-game hitting streak, the longest active streak in the majors entering play, come to an end after going hitless in three at-bats.—
Justice delos Santos,
Mercury News,
13 June 2026
Verb
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And those are the lucky ones, who weren’t felled by late-season injuries and bumped from the tournament the way Brazil’s Rodrygo, Japan’s Kaoru Mitoma and Germany’s Serge Gnabry were.—
Luke Cyphers,
Sportico.com,
11 June 2026
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This last concern, which could’ve effectively sabotaged anybody trying to train competing models by quietly bumping them down to less powerful models without their knowledge, proved controversial enough for Anthropic to change its mind.—
Victor Tangermann,
Futurism,
11 June 2026
Verb
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But a two-out walk in the second came back to bite him after Matt McClain swiped second base and scored on Tyler Stephenson’s single to center.—
Jeff Sanders,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
10 June 2026
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Lucky for me, there was leftover lekvar (prune butter), perfect to swipe on toast for the rest of the week.—
The Bon Appétit,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
10 June 2026
Verb
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More than 80% of community members contacted by DPS supported banning cellphones in class, while 64% of them approved of an all-day ban in middle and high schools, according to a presentation given to the school board last week.—
Jessica Seaman,
Denver Post,
9 June 2026
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Anyone with information about the case is asked to contact their local law enforcement agency or Indianapolis police at 317-327-3811.—
Natalie Neysa Alund,
USA Today,
9 June 2026
Verb
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This photo provided by Kylie Rouse shows the remnants of Shane and Jimmie Tipton's home in Unionville, Missouri, on June 10, 2026, after a tornado struck.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
12 June 2026
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South Africa was reduced to nine men after Themba Zwane struck Álvarado off the ball.—
Eduard Cauich,
Los Angeles Times,
12 June 2026
Verb
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His most recent conviction resulted from a 2018 case when authorities said he was shot after ramming multiple Fremont undercover police cars, as officers tried to arrest him in a string of car burglaries across the Bay Area.—
Harry Harris,
Mercury News,
8 June 2026
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Carmel Mayor Sue Finkam has also joined the conversation, criticizing Marion County after a suspect with several pending cases in Indianapolis was arrested for stealing a vehicle and then ramming it into a Carmel home.—
Kristine Phillips,
IndyStar,
5 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Sideswipe.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sideswipe. Accessed 14 Jun. 2026.
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