swipe

American  

[swahyp] / swaɪp /

noun

1. a swing of the arm, paw, etc., in order to strike someone or something.

   He made a swipe at me, but I ducked!

   A swipe from the cat could mean an injured eye for your new pup.

2. a critical or cutting remark.

   Her speech contained a few nasty swipes at the other leading candidate.

3. a swift pass of something over a surface or through a slot.

   You can debit your checking account with just a swipe of your card.

   It’ll take more than a few swipes with a sponge to clean this sink.

4. a strong, sweeping blow or stroke.

   It only took two swipes with the ax to bring the sapling down.

5. a sideswipe.

6. a leverlike device for raising or lowering a weight, especially a bucket in a well; sweep.

7. Also called rubber.  Horse Racing. a person who rubs down horses in a stable; groom.

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verb (used with object)

swiped, swiping

1. Informal. to steal.

   He'll swipe anything that isn't nailed down.

2. to slide (a magnetic card) quickly through an electronic device that reads data.

   Just swipe your credit card if tapping doesn’t work.

3. Digital Technology. to move a finger or fingers across an area on (a touchscreen) in order to execute a command.

   Swipe the screen upward to unlock your phone.

4. to hit, brush, or wipe with a swift, sweeping stroke.

   I swiped my face with my sleeve.

verb (used without object)

swiped, swiping

1. to make a swift, sweeping stroke.

   The waiter swiped at our table with a damp cloth.

   The giant swiped at the mouse with his boulder-sized fists.

2. to slide a magnetic card through an electronic device.

3. Digital Technology. to move the fingers across a touchscreen.

   Swipe down from the top to find your Favorites.

idioms

1. swipe left,

   1. Digital Technology. to move the fingers to the left on a touchscreen: originally, on some sites, a way to close or dismiss something.

      Users of the dating app can swipe left to indicate they are not interested in the photos and move on to the next person.

      Tap on the icon and swipe left to begin recording.

   2. to reject something or someone (often used withon ).

      You’ll find nicer apartments than this—swipe left!

      Even with a six-figure salary, I think I’d swipe left on that job.

2. swipe right,

   1. Digital Technology. to move the fingers to the right on a touchscreen: originally, on some sites, a way to open, approve, or opt for something.

      Swipe right on the profile to send the person a message.

      Swipe right to continue.

   2. to choose in favor of something or someone; approve (often used withon ).

      An iced cappuccino on a hot day like today—I’ll swipe right on that!

swipe British  

/ swaɪp /

verb

1. informal to hit hard with a sweeping blow

2. slang (tr) to steal

3. (tr) to pass a machine-readable card, such as a credit card, debit card, etc, through a machine that electronically interprets the information encoded, usu. in a magnetic strip, on the card

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noun

1. informal a hard blow

2. an unexpected criticism of someone or something while discussing another subject

3. Also called: sweep.  a type of lever for raising and lowering a weight, such as a bucket in a well

Etymology

Origin of swipe

First recorded in 1730–40; cognate with German schweifen; see also sweep ¹ ( def. )

Explanation

When you swipe something, you move it in a sweeping motion, like the way you swipe your credit card through a reader. Swipe can also mean "to steal," like when your little sisters swipe the cookies you baked before they cool. You might swipe at the mosquitos buzzing around your head at a summer picnic, or swipe your finger across a touchscreen to sign for a purchase. When used to mean "steal," swipe is a gentle kind of verb: it's not quite "burglarize," but closer to "sneak off with." This newer meaning comes from American prison slang, first appearing in the 1880s.

Example Sentences

High enough to swipe the title of the Backstreet Boys’ classic teen-pop ballad for this junior-dubstep jam.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 16, 2026

With a two-shot lead on the 18th tee the job was almost done but McIlroy had a wild swipe and his ball flew to the right and into trees.

From BBC • Apr. 12, 2026

But Jospin tripped up in his 2002 presidential rematch against Chirac, making a number of gaffes, including a swipe at his opponent's age that was seen as below the belt.

From Barron's • Mar. 23, 2026

A swipe of miso, if you have it.

From Salon • Mar. 1, 2026

But first I need to swipe a bowl from the kitchen.

From "Hello, Universe" by Erin Entrada Kelly

Related Words

• pilfer
• sneak