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.
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of sideswipe
His car sideswiped a wooden bridge.
—
Dave Duffey, Outdoor Life, 26 Mar. 2026
The Mazda6 driver exited onto Ohio 747 where the vehicle sideswiped a silver SUV before driving northbound.
—Gillian Stawiszynski, Cincinnati Enquirer, 23 Mar. 2026
He’s hammered her management of a decade-long property tax upgrade that resulted in late bills last year, sideswiped her early political support of Mayor Brandon Johnson and former State’s Attorney Kim Foxx, and rehashed her moves to raise sales and pop taxes years ago.
—A.d. Quig, Chicago Tribune, 11 Mar. 2026
The driver sideswiped one vehicle near Exit 33, then continued and caused a three-vehicle crash at milepost 32 beneath the Middleton Road overpass, the post states.
—Shannon Tyler, Idaho Statesman, 7 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for sideswipe
Dave Duffey, Outdoor Life, 26 Mar. 2026
The Mazda6 driver exited onto Ohio 747 where the vehicle sideswiped a silver SUV before driving northbound.
—Gillian Stawiszynski, Cincinnati Enquirer, 23 Mar. 2026
He’s hammered her management of a decade-long property tax upgrade that resulted in late bills last year, sideswiped her early political support of Mayor Brandon Johnson and former State’s Attorney Kim Foxx, and rehashed her moves to raise sales and pop taxes years ago.
—A.d. Quig, Chicago Tribune, 11 Mar. 2026
The driver sideswiped one vehicle near Exit 33, then continued and caused a three-vehicle crash at milepost 32 beneath the Middleton Road overpass, the post states.
—Shannon Tyler, Idaho Statesman, 7 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for sideswipe
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sideswipe
Verb
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Carson Richter hit a grand slam for Newbury Park.—
Eric Sondheimer,
Los Angeles Times,
2 May 2026
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Austin Hays then hit a grounder to third baseman Manny Machado.—
LaMond Pope,
Chicago Tribune,
2 May 2026
Verb
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Matatu buses bump with heavy bass over their sound systems, and are painted up with mural montages.—
Emmanuel Igunza,
NPR,
7 May 2026
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In a world of more than eight billion busy people, a few will bump into a neighbor traveling in a distant country, for example.—
Faye Flam,
Scientific American,
7 May 2026
Verb
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Imagine swiping a card at a corner station, unlocking a bicycle, riding to the store or your office or the park or the beach and locking the bike at another station.—
Harry Bubbins,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
30 Apr. 2026
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Because the brand studied undertones to create a collection that would be true to the tube when Black and Brown people swiped it on.—
Jackie Fields,
PEOPLE,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Anyone with information is urged to contact Garner Police Investigations at 919-772-8810.—
Stepheny Price,
FOXNews.com,
28 Apr. 2026
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Anyone with information has been asked to contact Det.—
Justin Muszynski,
Hartford Courant,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
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This feeling of stasis is made all the more worrying by Ukraine’s increasing ability to strike inside Russia itself.—
Joshua Yaffa,
New Yorker,
8 May 2026
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Her head struck the train before she was thrown back onto the platform, fracturing her spine.—
Stepheny Price,
FOXNews.com,
8 May 2026
Verb
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Elliot Rodger went on a killing spree, stabbing, shooting and ramming people with a vehicle in Isla Vista, California, killing six people and injuring more than a dozen before dying by suicide.—
USA Today,
USA Today,
6 May 2026
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An officer was injured when a squad car was rammed by a suspect who exchanged gunfire with police.—
John Aguilar,
Denver Post,
4 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Sideswipe.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sideswipe. Accessed 8 May. 2026.
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