sideswipe

1 of 2

verb

side·​swipe ˈsīd-ˌswīp How to pronounce sideswipe (audio)
sideswiped; sideswiping; sideswipes
Synonyms of sideswipenext

transitive verb

: to strike with a glancing blow along the side
sideswiped a parked car

sideswipe

2 of 2

noun

1
a
: the action of sideswiping
b
: an instance of sideswiping : a glancing blow
2
: an incidental deprecatory remark, allusion, or reference

Examples of sideswipe in a Sentence

Verb The taxi sideswiped a parked car. Noun She took a sideswipe at the senator's voting record.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Verb
Sorensen allegedly admitted to sideswiping 20-year-old Jonathan Langdon's motorcycle while in a jealous rage, according to court records. — Bill Hutchinson, ABC News, 11 Aug. 2026 The sedan the boys were driving sideswiped another vehicle traveling in the opposite direction and lost control, striking Bowling near 35th Avenue and Mangels Avenue, the Oakland police previously told PEOPLE. — Bailey Richards, PEOPLE, 9 Aug. 2026
Noun
In 2004, there were sixty-nine sideswipe accidents in New Orleans in which a passenger vehicle collided with a large truck. — Patrick Radden Keefe, New Yorker, 13 Apr. 2026 Electrons in the magnetic field sideswipe oxygen atoms or nitrogen molecules in the Earth's atmosphere. — Jenna Prestininzi, Freep.com, 8 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for sideswipe

Word History

First Known Use

Verb

1891, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1857, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of sideswipe was in 1857

Rhymes for sideswipe

See All Rhymes for sideswipe

Browse Nearby Words

sideswept
sideswipe
side table
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Sideswipe.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sideswipe. Accessed 12 Aug. 2026.

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Kids Definition

sideswipe

1 of 2 verb
side·​swipe -ˌswīp How to pronounce sideswipe (audio)
: to hit along the side with a blow that bounces off at an angle
sideswiped a parked car

sideswipe

2 of 2 noun
1
: an instance of sideswiping : a blow from an angle that bounces off
2
: an indirectly related disapproving remark, allusion, or reference
a sideswipe at the senator's voting record

More from Merriam-Webster on sideswipe

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for sideswipe

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