swing state

noun

plural swing states
US politics : a U.S. state in which Republican and Democratic candidates have similar levels of support and which is considered to play a key role in the outcome of presidential elections
The politics of immigration in Florida, a key swing state, are not as clear as they are in California.Tom Masland et al.
If he is so polarizing, how was he elected five times in a swing state?Nancy Gibbs et al.

Examples of swing state in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Florida and Ohio, until 2016, were some of the most telling swing states. Annabella Rosciglione, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 15 Feb. 2025 In key swing states that ultimately backed Trump, opinions are more divided. Martha McHardy, Newsweek, 6 Feb. 2025 The other side: Wikler and his supporters, who also support better outreach to working-class voters, point to his fundraising success and argue that the party should pick a Democrat from a true swing state. Torey Van Oot, Axios, 31 Jan. 2025 Granting in-state tuition discounts to undocumented students was an overture to Hispanic voters during a moment when Republican politicians were beginning to pay more attention to the influence of Latino voters at the ballot box in what was still a swing state with razor-thin margins. Alexandra Glorioso, Miami Herald, 29 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for swing state 

Word History

First Known Use

1952, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of swing state was in 1952

Dictionary Entries Near swing state

Cite this Entry

“Swing state.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/swing%20state. Accessed 21 Feb. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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