swoop

1 of 2

verb

ˈswüp How to pronounce swoop (audio)
swooped; swooping; swoops

intransitive verb

: to move with a sweep

transitive verb

: to gain or carry off in or as if in a swoop
—usually used with up
swooper noun

swoop

2 of 2

noun

1
: an act or instance of swooping
2
: a single concentrated and quickly effective effort
was done in one swoop
—often used with fell
solved everything at one fell swoop

Examples of swoop in a Sentence

Verb The police swooped in and captured the criminals.
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
The San Diego Padres swooped in and offered the pride of Aruba an 11-year deal worth $280 million. — Dan Freedman, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2026 Mystic has always been a tourist town, with its quaint downtown and historic houses, but now, developers have swooped in and built sleek businesses along the main drag in glass and gray-scale. — Brenna Ehrlich, Rolling Stone, 31 July 2026
Noun
This single electrochemical platform solves both problems in one fell swoop. — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 3 Aug. 2026 Twain and Marie-Anne became close friends, and Twain was shocked to learn that Marie-Anne and Lange had been allegedly carrying on an extramarital affair—losing both her husband and her best friend in one fell swoop. — Rachel Burchfield, InStyle, 31 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for swoop

Word History

Etymology

Verb

alteration of Middle English swopen to sweep, from Old English swāpan — more at sweep

First Known Use

Verb

1566, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Noun

1605, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of swoop was in 1566

Phrases Containing swoop

Rhymes for swoop

See All Rhymes for swoop

Browse Nearby Words

swooner
swoop
swooper
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Swoop.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/swoop. Accessed 6 Aug. 2026.

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Kids Definition

swoop

1 of 2 verb
ˈswüp How to pronounce swoop (audio)
: to dive or pounce suddenly like a hawk on its prey

swoop

2 of 2 noun
1
: an act or instance of swooping
2
: a single quickly effective effort
—often used with fell
solved everything at one fell swoop

More from Merriam-Webster on swoop

Nglish: Translation of swoop for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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