-
- To save this word, you'll need to log in.
swear out
verb
swore out; sworn out; swearing out; swears out
: to procure (a warrant for arrest) by making a sworn accusation
Examples of swear out in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Rhodes said the gun claim stems from an encounter where a man threatened his son with a large pipe in a road rage incident, but the man swore out charges with a court commissioner saying Rhodes threatened him first.
—Cassidy Jensen, Baltimore Sun, 11 May 2024
Baltimore’s Police Accountability Board members on Monday questioned how a Baltimore Police captain was promoted to major in November despite a pending Internal Affairs investigation and District Court criminal charges sworn out days earlier.
—Darcy Costello, Baltimore Sun, 9 Jan. 2024
The lawsuit accused Worley of providing misinformation or failing to accurately provide information to a detective who swore out a search warrant for Britt’s home.
—Emily Opilo, Baltimore Sun, 1 Sep. 2023
Once the province solely of the police and fire departments, the city’s inspection crew, through the Property Standards Division, can now get involved in a process in which people can swear out complaints after the fact.
—Steve Lord, Chicago Tribune, 28 June 2022
However, the police still chose to swear out misdemeanor complaints in 37th District Court against Cleveland Harville and others.
—Tresa Baldas, Detroit Free Press, 25 Jan. 2022
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.
Word History
First Known Use
1850, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near swear out
Cite this Entry
“Swear out.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/swear%20out. Accessed 29 Nov. 2024.
Legal Definition
swear out
transitive verb
: to procure (a warrant) by making a sworn statement
also
: to make (a sworn affidavit) to procure a warrant
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share