1
as in bumping
to come into usually forceful contact with something
a blindfolded partygoer swiping at the piñata with a stick spent most of the camping trip swiping mosquitos
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in slapping
to deliver a blow to (someone or something) usually in a strong vigorous manner
that car just swiped the fender of our car
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in stealing
to take (something) without right and with an intent to keep
somebody swiped the stop sign that used to be on the corner left his phone at the library and it got swiped
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of swiping
CBS News, 22 Dec. 2025
Find a way to limit endless swiping or late-night chats that drain you emotionally, and resist the pressure to respond immediately.
—Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2025
Adam Sabes, FOXNews.com, 2 Nov. 2025
How one person feels about spending cash versus swiping their card is really about exposure, Bryan-Podvin says.
—Kamaron McNair, CNBC, 30 Oct. 2025
For his part, Ball enjoyed a strong showing against Milwaukee on Sunday, scoring 11 points on 4-of-7 shooting from the floor (2-of-4 from distance) and 1-of-3 shooting from the foul line, grabbing six rebounds, dishing out five dimes, and swiping one steal.
—Alex Kirschenbaum, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Oct. 2025
In a world where people have grown increasingly accustomed to finding love by swiping right or left, this little Irish town and its festival offers something different.
—Bernadette Keith, Travel + Leisure, 19 Oct. 2025
Thanks to the new ‘Hi-Five’ rule, which penalizes defenders for swiping at hands following through, and re-emphasizes contact to shooters’ legs, Curry shot nine free throws in the first half, all makes, and ended up with 13 attempts from the foul line overall.
—Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 15 Oct. 2025
The videos showed Hernandez and Guzman-Zequeira swiping Anderson’s debit card, her arrest warrant reveals.
—Milena Malaver, Miami Herald, 14 Oct. 2025
Eight, maybe nine years removed from swiping worms from the corner store and lifting loose change from cars in the mall parking lot.
—Allen Iverson, Rolling Stone, 10 Oct. 2025
After the fumble, head coach Jonathan Gannon was incensed and got into the face of Demercado, making physical contact and swiping at him.
—Lawrence Dow, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 9 Oct. 2025
Noun
Matthews shot high glove side, and Oettinger made a swiping save.
—Verb
Wilson was arrested in February for allegedly swiping a subway rider through a turnstile and received cash in exchange.
—Recent Examples of Synonyms for swiping
Noun
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The domestic violence case was dismissed and the theft charge had yet to be disputed in court.—
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Investigators believe the same person is responsible for at least the thefts in Rancho San Diego and Imperial Beach, and possibly all five thefts.—
Verb
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Bolstering that pair — or, even better, the second pair, and bumping down rookie Axel Sandin-Pellikka to the third — would go a long way toward solidifying the blue line.—
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The notice also says the positions involved aren’t tied to a union, so bumping rights don’t apply.—
Verb
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Mimicking what happened seven years earlier after the Dallas playoff win in Charlotte, the players ran back outside and took a lap around the stadium, slapping hands with delirious home fans.—
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That means not just the sound of rubber slapping the pavement or the whir of electric motors—the soundtrack of a Formula E race—but something new and artificial or, more generously, bespoke.—
Verb
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Bregman played his first nine seasons with the Houston Astros, winning World Series titles in 2017 and 2022 — although the first of those yielded a sign-stealing scandal that earned Bregman and his teammates plenty of scorn.—
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Jacob Elordi is known for stealing hearts on and off-screen.—
Verb
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Bystander video footage that has since gone viral captured a masked federal agent fire multiple shots into Good's vehicle, which then drove up the street before slamming into the back of another car.—
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Convenience store owners are slamming the proposal as restrictive and unnecessary.—
Verb
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The 49ers went three and out on their next two possessions and were unsuccessful on throws outside the numbers after hitting the middle of the field with three completions on the scoring drive.—
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After hitting just 4 of 30 threes against the Pacers, Miami opened 4 for 4 from distance, shot 8 for 16 on threes in the first half and finished 17 for 32.—
Verb
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Once stationary, deactivate all lights except the hazard flashers, engage the emergency brake, and release the brake pedal to ensure your tail lights are not illuminated, reducing the risk of other drivers colliding with your stationary vehicle.—
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After colliding with Sanchez’s vehicle, the driver allegedly continued to elude police and struck a recreational vehicle parked on private property.—
Verb
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And the good vibes of those wins quickly dissolved with Toronto smacking them around in the fourth quarter of a blowout loss.—
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Malika was now smacking the rug in rhythm.—
Cite this Entry
“Swiping.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/swiping. Accessed 12 Jan. 2026.
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