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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For any questions, ranging from recommendations for hitting the town to extra amenities needed, the lobby desk was always readily available and seemed genuinely happy to help.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
7 May 2026
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Valdez has received a six-game suspension and a fine for an undisclosed amount after hitting Story in the back with a 94-mph fastball with the first pitch of the at-bat, MLB announced Wednesday.—
Senior Editor,
Los Angeles Times,
7 May 2026
Verb
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The new baby is expected to enter the succession fifteenth in line to the throne, bumping those behind them back a spot.—
Janine Henni,
PEOPLE,
4 May 2026
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People start bumping into things and take up space differently.—
Lily Hautau,
CNN Money,
3 May 2026
Verb
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Walton then allegedly fled at a high rate of speed without contacting authorities.—
Stepheny Price , Jasmine Baehr,
FOXNews.com,
2 May 2026
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As the need for cell phone data use becomes more common — particularly in terms of contacting emergency services — this service gap becomes even more amplified, Humes wrote.—
Elliot Mann,
Twin Cities,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Elliot Rodger went on a killing spree, stabbing, shooting and ramming people with a vehicle in Isla Vista, California, killing six people and injuring more than a dozen before dying by suicide.—
USA Today,
USA Today,
6 May 2026
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In March last year, a car-ramming incident in the southwestern city of Mannheim killed an 83-year-old woman and a 54-year-old man, while other people were injured.—
Billy Stockwell,
CNN Money,
4 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Sideswiping.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sideswiping. Accessed 10 May. 2026.
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