as in to hit
US
to cause the side of a vehicle to come into forceful contact with the side of another vehicle
The taxi sideswiped a parked car.
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Recent Examples of sideswipe
The injury sideswiped a breakout season, one that put the former high school quarterback in line to be Notre Dame’s next great at a position where it’s had many.
—
Pete Sampson, The Athletic, 6 Aug. 2024
Side bicycle detection: Side radars identify objects moving parallel to the vehicle to prevent drivers from merging into or sideswiping cyclists by showing an amber-colored icon in the side mirrors.
—Jamie L. Lareau, Detroit Free Press, 13 Nov. 2024
Rafael, which is currently a Category 2 hurricane with wind speeds of 100 mph, will make landfall in Cuba today before sideswiping the Florida Keys on its journey northwest toward the Louisiana coast.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 6 Nov. 2024
In the last month, the team has hired a new general manager (Stan Bowman), made progress on the Leon Draisaitl contract negotiations and got sideswiped last week by a dual offer sheet from the St. Louis Blues.
—Allan Mitchell, The Athletic, 20 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for sideswipe 
Pete Sampson, The Athletic, 6 Aug. 2024
Side bicycle detection: Side radars identify objects moving parallel to the vehicle to prevent drivers from merging into or sideswiping cyclists by showing an amber-colored icon in the side mirrors.
—Jamie L. Lareau, Detroit Free Press, 13 Nov. 2024
Rafael, which is currently a Category 2 hurricane with wind speeds of 100 mph, will make landfall in Cuba today before sideswiping the Florida Keys on its journey northwest toward the Louisiana coast.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 6 Nov. 2024
In the last month, the team has hired a new general manager (Stan Bowman), made progress on the Leon Draisaitl contract negotiations and got sideswiped last week by a dual offer sheet from the St. Louis Blues.
—Allan Mitchell, The Athletic, 20 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for sideswipe
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sideswipe
Verb
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At her best, the 26-year-old’s powerful hitting from the baseline is borderline unstoppable, particularly on hard courts.—
George Ramsay,
CNN,
25 Jan. 2025
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Last week, when quarterback Patrick Mahomes — tackled at the ankles and about to hit the turf — threw a touchdown pass to Kelce, the Chief’s German Instagram page, chiefsdeutschland, responded with a photo and all-capital letters caption: DIESER TD HAT UNS SPRACHLOS GEMACHT.—
Eric Adler,
Kansas City Star,
25 Jan. 2025
Verb
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The Mets might be better off signing Alex Bregman and bumping Mark Vientos to first base, but as currently constructed, a return to Queens for Alonso seems like the logical fit.—
Yaakov Katz,
Newsweek,
16 Jan. 2025
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Not to mention the helpful possibility of bumping into members of Trump’s inner circle, like Musk.—
David Jeans,
Forbes,
15 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Hao orders them to swipe right on every profile on dating apps, and even encourages approaching random women en masse in shopping centers.—
J. Kim Murphy,
Variety,
24 Jan. 2025
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Join 9 others in the comments View Comments Shoplifters often swipe smaller items with higher price tags.—
Nathaniel Meyersohn,
CNN,
22 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Newsweek contacted Burgess for comment through a form on its website on Friday morning.—
David Faris,
Newsweek,
18 Jan. 2025
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If it is not resolved, contact a healthcare provider.—
Sohaib Imtiaz,
Verywell Health,
18 Jan. 2025
Verb
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All around is the faint yellow haze of light, striking everything from the doily laced curtains of the kitchen serving hatch to the bedroom quilt.—
Ingu Chen,
Vogue,
27 Jan. 2025
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The suspect fled and then struck another pedestrian, who survived, police said.—
Emily Shapiro,
ABC News,
27 Jan. 2025
Verb
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The incident makes for the second time in two years that Quinn has been charged in relation to a car accident: He was arrested in 2023 after ramming a pickup truck into four vehicles and smacking a woman before fleeing, according to the Post and Courier.—
Lillie Davidson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
11 Jan. 2025
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The deputy — perceiving he was being targeted — stopped being polite and rammed the bicyclist, sending him bouncing off the hood, sailing through hedges and crashing to the ground, a Flagler County Sheriff’s Office video shows.—
Mark Price,
Miami Herald,
6 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near sideswipe
Cite this Entry
“Sideswipe.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sideswipe. Accessed 30 Jan. 2025.
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