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.
Tom Masland et al.If he is so polarizing, how was he elected five times in a swing state?—Nancy Gibbs et al.
Nancy Gibbs et al.Examples of swing state in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Latino voter turnout is expected to swell in swing states like Arizona, a trend that voting data indicates should help Democrats like Gallego in his bid for the U.S. Senate.
—Ben Giles, NPR, 8 May 2024
And Fetterman – still four years away from another Senate campaign of his own – will put his message to the test this fall as an on-the-ground supporter for President Joe Biden in Pennsylvania, a crucial swing state, and well beyond it too.
—Bruce Siwy, USA TODAY, 8 May 2024
Their swing state polling has shown the vast majority of young voters have heard of the Inflation Reduction Act but do not connect it with Biden.
—Noah Bierman, Los Angeles Times, 7 May 2024
On Wednesday, Donald Trump, while spending a day off from his criminal trial in Manhattan on the road in the swing states of Wisconsin and Michigan, gave an interview to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
—Susan B. Glasser, The New Yorker, 2 May 2024
But in a tight race boiling down to what happens in a few swing states, challenges remain — especially for Biden.
—Suzanne Gamboa, NBC News, 29 Apr. 2024
Typically the support for third-party candidates declines as Election Day nears, although in close elections the impact of drawing only thousands of voters in swing states can tip the election outcome.
—Susan Page, USA TODAY, 6 May 2024
The first lady is one of many White House surrogates who has recently visited Arizona, a swing state in this year’s presidential election.
—Laura Gersony, The Arizona Republic, 6 May 2024
Michigan — a key swing state in the upcoming election — could decide the presidential contest this fall.
—Clara Hendrickson, Detroit Free Press, 6 May 2024
Ben Giles, NPR, 8 May 2024
And Fetterman – still four years away from another Senate campaign of his own – will put his message to the test this fall as an on-the-ground supporter for President Joe Biden in Pennsylvania, a crucial swing state, and well beyond it too.
—Bruce Siwy, USA TODAY, 8 May 2024
Their swing state polling has shown the vast majority of young voters have heard of the Inflation Reduction Act but do not connect it with Biden.
—Noah Bierman, Los Angeles Times, 7 May 2024
On Wednesday, Donald Trump, while spending a day off from his criminal trial in Manhattan on the road in the swing states of Wisconsin and Michigan, gave an interview to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
—Susan B. Glasser, The New Yorker, 2 May 2024
But in a tight race boiling down to what happens in a few swing states, challenges remain — especially for Biden.
—Suzanne Gamboa, NBC News, 29 Apr. 2024
Typically the support for third-party candidates declines as Election Day nears, although in close elections the impact of drawing only thousands of voters in swing states can tip the election outcome.
—Susan Page, USA TODAY, 6 May 2024
The first lady is one of many White House surrogates who has recently visited Arizona, a swing state in this year’s presidential election.
—Laura Gersony, The Arizona Republic, 6 May 2024
Michigan — a key swing state in the upcoming election — could decide the presidential contest this fall.
—Clara Hendrickson, Detroit Free Press, 6 May 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'swing state.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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 17 May. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share