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

Only Kroenke, a minority owner in the franchise at the time, surprisingly swooped in by exercising his right of first refusal.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

But with some countries' economies so reliant on the scam industry, she said the law enforcement actions potentially leave "a vacuum for other organised crime types to swoop in".

Read more on Barron's

As Comey now knows all too well, the government will not swoop in and provide meaningful financial assistance.

Read more on MarketWatch

However the clock change will bring sunset forward by an hour in one fell swoop which may come as a shock to the system.

Read more on BBC

He turned upside-down the traditional playbook for solving international crises, in which diplomats work behind the scenes to iron out differences between warring parties, before world leaders swoop in and announce a deal.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• dive 
• plummet 
• pounce