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 His campaign is holding a town hall-style event, rallying GOP voters in a pivotal swing state. – Marina Pitofsky Was Trump shot at again? —

Nick Penzenstadler, USA TODAY, 17 Sep. 2024 Pennsylvania Coming the week of Oct. 21 With 19 electoral college votes — the most of any of the swing states — the Keystone State is arguably the main focus for both campaigns. —

Npr Staff, NPR, 16 Sep. 2024 Like Michigan, Pennsylvania is a swing state where either candidate winning could determine who ends up winning the White House. —

Arpan Lobo, Detroit Free Press, 14 Sep. 2024 Pennsylvania is a key swing state in the race with the second-highest oil and gas economy in the country. —

Leah Sarnoff, ABC News, 13 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for swing state

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.