swing shift

American  

noun

1. a work shift in industry from midafternoon until midnight.

2. the group of workers on such a shift.

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swing shift British  

noun

1. a group of workers who work a shift from late afternoon to midnight in an industry or occupation where a day shift or a night shift is also worked

2. the period worked

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Other Word Forms

• swing shifter noun

Etymology

Origin of swing shift

First recorded in 1935–40

Example Sentences

It could be that the job has downtime when you can work on personal projects or has a swing shift so you can use your mornings to write.

From Slate • Feb. 21, 2023

He chose the swing shift so that his wife could use the couple’s car for her day shift.

From Washington Post • Apr. 4, 2022

He’s a floor boss at Bimbo Bakeries USA, working swing shift at the company’s Pico Rivera distribution center.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 9, 2021

The man said he worked a swing shift the day Watkins disappeared and had never seen her before, police said.

From Fox News • Dec. 12, 2020

She worked the swing shift at Chase Manhattan Bank as a typist, leaving home at three P.M. and returning around two A.M.,

From "The Color of Water: A Black Man's Tribute to His White Mother" by James McBride