Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com

swipes

American  
[swahyps] / swaɪps /

noun

(used with a plural verb)
  1. poor, watery, or spoiled beer.

  2. malt liquor in general, especially beer and small beer.


swipes British  
/ swaɪps /

plural noun

  1. slang beer, esp when poor or weak

"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

Etymology

Origin of swipes

1780–90; noun plural use of swipe to drink down at one gulp, variant of sweep 1

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Some of those swipes may move to buy now, pay later transactions, Mizuho said, which are ultimately settled through debit cards over multiple payments.

From Barron's • Jan. 13, 2026

Stomach gnawing and hands slightly shaky, I loaded up on ephemera for fancy paninis, held together with swipes of giardiniera mayo, and splurged on some pastel-hued botanical sodas for drinking straight from the can.

From Salon • Jan. 1, 2026

Sliwa jumped into the fray, taking swipes at the other two candidates over their records in government.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 23, 2025

The brothers’ endless swipes at each other in the media post-breakup didn’t give fans hope they’d get back to “living forever.”

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 16, 2025

Soon, it was the action itself that absorbed her, and the newspaper report which she revised to the rhythm of her swipes.

From "Atonement" by Ian McEwan