as in hitting
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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Recent Examples of sideswiping
All of them involved a car sideswiping the back of a tractor-trailer that was making a lane change.
—
Patrick Radden Keefe, New Yorker, 13 Apr. 2026
Williams was found dead behind the wheel of his gray Chevrolet Equinox after sideswiping three vehicles before coming to a stop outside the Coney Island Houses, about a block from where the shooting was reported.
—Rocco Parascandola, New York Daily News, 11 Mar. 2026
Ramirez-Mesa barrelled through the intersection, sideswiping the 4Runner before crashing into the driver’s side of the Sonata, deputies say.
—Milena Malaver, Miami Herald, 6 Feb. 2026
But Parente says Martinez, who was shot five times after the crash, did not cause the wreck, arguing the agent was the person who actually initiated the contact by sideswiping his client, making the condition of his vehicle crucial to her defense.
—Andi Babineau, CNN Money, 21 Oct. 2025
Patrick Radden Keefe, New Yorker, 13 Apr. 2026
Williams was found dead behind the wheel of his gray Chevrolet Equinox after sideswiping three vehicles before coming to a stop outside the Coney Island Houses, about a block from where the shooting was reported.
—Rocco Parascandola, New York Daily News, 11 Mar. 2026
Ramirez-Mesa barrelled through the intersection, sideswiping the 4Runner before crashing into the driver’s side of the Sonata, deputies say.
—Milena Malaver, Miami Herald, 6 Feb. 2026
But Parente says Martinez, who was shot five times after the crash, did not cause the wreck, arguing the agent was the person who actually initiated the contact by sideswiping his client, making the condition of his vehicle crucial to her defense.
—Andi Babineau, CNN Money, 21 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sideswiping
Verb
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Pages followed with a single and Keller loaded the bases by hitting Freddie Freeman and Max Muncy with two outs.—
Bill Plunkett,
Oc Register,
12 June 2026
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Tire tread depth - Checking your tire tread before hitting the road is important, as low or no tread can lead to sliding.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
12 June 2026
Verb
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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
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Gilman pulled rookie wide receiver Cyrus Allen to the ground after a catch, later bumping rookie running back Emmett Johnson hard enough that Johnson’s helmet popped off.—
Pete Sweeney
June 11,
Kansas City Star,
11 June 2026
Verb
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He was also ordered to stay away from the victim, prohibited from contacting her directly or indirectly in writing, through a telephone, or via social media.—
Peter D'Oench,
CBS News,
4 June 2026
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Rozier’s conditions of release prohibited him from contacting any team members of the Heat and the Charlotte Hornets, including players, coaches and medical staff members.—
Chloe Atkins,
NBC news,
4 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
“Sideswiping.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sideswiping. Accessed 13 Jun. 2026.
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