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 orupon ).

   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, oroff ).

   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

noun

1. the act of swooping

2. a swift descent

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

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

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.

see one fell swoop.

Example Sentences

A private for-profit company, American Advanced Management, swooped to the rescue of Glenn Medical and a nearby hospital in Colusa County, buying them and keeping them open.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

U.S. stocks staged a furious comeback rally on Friday as investors once again swooped in to buy the dip ahead of the weekend.

Read more on MarketWatch

In the past, even a solid report paired with an improved financial outlook hasn’t been enough to impress the chipmaker’s investors, sending shares lower the next day before more buyers swooped in.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

The sky above was thick with storm clouds, and a vulture swooped overhead.

Read more on Literature

But tempus fugit, as the chiming of the library clock made clear, and since Edward Ashton had left, the time had flown faster than a keen-eyed peregrine falcon swooping earthward for its prey.

Read more on Literature

Related Words

• dive 
• plummet 
• pounce