swoop
to sweep through the air, as a bird or a bat, especially down upon prey.
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.
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.
an act or instance of swooping; a sudden, swift descent.
Idioms about swoop
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.
Origin of swoop
1Other words for swoop
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use swoop in a sentence
Michonne broke the news and GREATM swooped in to the rescue, or so they thought.
The Walking Dead’s Midseason Finale Shocker: A Cherished Character Meets a Grisly End | Melissa Leon | December 1, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTThe tone of this syllable swooped up briefly, and then down.
April is STI Awareness month—a month that Trojan has swooped in and taken ownership of.
STI Awareness Month Is Nothing More Than a Hallmark Holiday for Condoms | Kent Sepkowitz | April 18, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTThey were no doubt ready to do battle again as they swooped in.
For Mexico’s Marines, An Epic Cartel Bust With Another Tragedy in Mind | Michael Daly | March 1, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTThe day after the wedding, the Mexican military swooped into town.
His thoughts swooped in another direction—he suddenly fixed his attention upon Lettice.
The Wave | Algernon BlackwoodFar up the gorge dense clouds of black smoke swooped down from the benchland.
Raw Gold | Bertrand W. SinclairBlack Hood sprang out from the pole, swooped down upon the messenger like a huge black bat.
Joe flung pieces of fish into the air, and kept chatting volubly as his pets swooped and squabbled.
The Chequers | James RuncimanThe swallows swooped past the two children, almost touching them with their wings, that hardly seemed to move.
Child Life In Town And Country | Anatole France
British Dictionary definitions for swoop
/ (swuːp) /
(intr; usually foll by down, on, or upon) to sweep or pounce suddenly
(tr; often foll by up, away, or off) to seize or scoop suddenly
the act of swooping
a swift descent
Origin of swoop
1Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Other Idioms and Phrases with swoop
see one fell swoop.
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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