swoop

American  

[swoop] / swup /

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

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.

swoop British  

/ 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

swoop More Idioms  

1. see one fell swoop.

---

Etymology

Origin of swoop

1535–45; variant (with close ō ) of Middle English swopen, Old English swāpan to sweep ¹; cognate with German schweifen

Explanation

To swoop is to move downward quickly and dramatically, like an eagle that swoops down to catch its prey. A swoop is an impressive movement best demonstrated by a bird. If a bird is high in the air, then moves down quickly, making an arc or loop, that's an example of a swoop. People can also swoop — three muggers might swoop in on a victim, for example. The phrase "one fell swoop" means "all at once," and Shakespeare used it first, in "Macbeth:" "What, All my pretty Chickens, and their Dam, At one fell swoop?"

Example Sentences

Then, in a surprise twist, Netflix has backed off the Warner Brothers deal, allowing Paramount to swoop in.

From Slate • Feb. 28, 2026

The stunning operation saw US forces swoop in by helicopter under cover of darkness and seize Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores from a highly secured compound in the Venezuelan capital on January 3.

From Barron's • Feb. 13, 2026

The idea was to flush all shareholders who wanted out in one fell swoop, avoiding the cycle of redemptions that weighed down Blackstone’s real-estate fund for years when it fell from favor.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 22, 2026

Let’s start with the big “why” for your efforts, because that may solve all of your hesitations in one fell swoop.

From MarketWatch • Jan. 14, 2026

There the poor carp would flop until they dried out and died, then later the crows would swoop down and eat them.

From "Bless Me, Ultima" by Rudolfo Anaya

Related Words

• dive
• plummet
• pounce