swoop

1 of 2

verb

ˈswüp 

swooped; swooping; swoops

intransitive verb

: to move with a sweep

transitive verb

: to gain or carry off in or as if in a swoop

—usually used with up

swooper noun

swoop

2 of 2

noun

1

: an act or instance of swooping

2

: a single concentrated and quickly effective effort

was done in one swoop

—often used with fell

solved everything at one fell swoop

Examples of swoop in a Sentence

Verb

The police swooped in and captured the criminals.

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

As long as Guerrero's long-term future remains uncertain, the possibility of a team like the Mets swooping in to make a trade remains. —Raul A. Reyes, Newsweek, 23 Jan. 2025

With the stakes high, who could swoop in to save TikTok? —Francisco Velasquez, Quartz, 23 Jan. 2025

Noun

City Councilwoman Traci Park, who represents the Pacific Palisades, asked why the two phases — the EPA work and the debris clearing — couldn’t be done in one fell swoop. —Dakota Smith, Los Angeles Times, 27 Jan. 2025

All three of those have to work and in one fell swoop in order to do that. —Christina Coulter, Fox News, 16 Jan. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Verb

alteration of Middle English swopen to sweep, from Old English swāpan — more at sweep

First Known Use

Verb

1566, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Noun

1605, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing swoop

• in/at one fell swoop

Kids Definition

swoop

1 of 2 verb

ˈswüp 

: to dive or pounce suddenly like a hawk on its prey

swoop

2 of 2 noun

1

: an act or instance of swooping

2

: a single quickly effective effort

—often used with fell

solved everything at one fell swoop