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View synonyms for swoop

swoop

[ swoop ]

verb (used without object)

  1. to sweep through the air, as a bird or a bat, especially down upon prey.
  2. to come down upon something in a sudden, swift attack (often followed by down and on or upon ):

    The army swooped down on the town.



verb (used with object)

  1. to take, lift, scoop up, or remove with or as with one sweeping motion (often followed by up, away, or off ):

    He swooped her up in his arms.

noun

  1. an act or instance of swooping; a sudden, swift descent.

    Synonyms: drop, sweep, plunge, dive

swoop

/ swuːp /

verb

  1. intr; usually foll by down, on, or upon to sweep or pounce suddenly
  2. tr; often foll by up, away, or off to seize or scoop suddenly
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012


noun

  1. the act of swooping
  2. a swift descent
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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Word History and Origins

Origin of swoop1

1535–45; variant (with close ō ) of Middle English swopen, Old English swāpan to sweep 1; cognate with German schweifen
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Word History and Origins

Origin of swoop1

Old English swāpan to sweep; related to Old High German sweifan to swing around, Old Norse sveipa to throw
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Idioms and Phrases

Idioms
  1. at / in one fell swoop, all at once or all together, as if by one blow:

    The quake flattened the houses at one fell swoop.

More idioms and phrases containing swoop

see one fell swoop .
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Example Sentences

Amazon says bright or dark lights can throw off the Show’s person-detection software, and it tries to focus on the center of the action without too many swoops that might look jarring for the person on the other end of the call.

This was a handy way to trigger various features, like clearing all notifications in one swoop.

From Fortune

The hard hat was to protect him should the parents swoop low.

At the same time I was on an emotional upswing, a hyper-manic swoop and I was falling in love with my now-wife.

As you walk in front of the first screen, your silhouette appears and birds swoop down toward you.

In one fell swoop, the Supreme Court has constrained government power, expanded corporate rights, and protected religious tyranny.

She needs to reassure Brody that all will be well—that the CIA will swoop in and iron everything out.

At one fell swoop on the field of Jena, the famed military monarchy of the great Frederick fell in pieces like a potter's vessel.

We always think of “eagle” when we think of “swoop,” but we do not often think of “swoop” when we think of “eagle.”

In a day or so they organise again, and swoop down on some other place, such as Belmont.

But Charlie didn't triumph, neither did he swoop; we watched carefully until we saw that Charlie was going astern!

There is something in the very words "flying column" to appease the impatient; wings in the air, a swoop upon the victim.

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Related Words

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.

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