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
Williams was found dead behind the wheel of his gray Chevrolet Equinox after sideswiping three vehicles before coming to a stop outside the Coney Island Houses, about a block from where the shooting was reported.
—
Rocco Parascandola, New York Daily News, 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
Ramirez-Mesa barrelled through the intersection, sideswiping the 4Runner before crashing into the driver’s side of the Sonata, deputies say.
—Milena Malaver, Miami Herald, 6 Feb. 2026
That’s when the 35-year-old was sideswiped by a driver, according to news outlet ClickOrlando.
—Owen Clarke, Outside, 21 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sideswipe
Rocco Parascandola, New York Daily News, 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
Ramirez-Mesa barrelled through the intersection, sideswiping the 4Runner before crashing into the driver’s side of the Sonata, deputies say.
—Milena Malaver, Miami Herald, 6 Feb. 2026
That’s when the 35-year-old was sideswiped by a driver, according to news outlet ClickOrlando.
—Owen Clarke, Outside, 21 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sideswipe
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sideswipe
Verb
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Five pitchers combined for nine strikeouts and allowed just hits for Andrew (4-3).—
Patrick Z. McGavin,
Chicago Tribune,
4 Apr. 2026
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Among them was Linda Parker, the president and CEO of Women In Distress of Broward County, who said Metayer’s death hit close to home.—
Amanda Rosa,
Miami Herald,
4 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Then Buttered Popcorn dethroned it in 1998, bumping the cherry classic from its perch.—
Samantha Agate,
Miami Herald,
1 Apr. 2026
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In practice, though, the list is largely made up of people who bump into each other at the Century Association or the Center for Architecture; even firms that originated abroad, like Snøhetta (Norway) and BIG (Denmark), have essentially become local.—
Justin Davidson,
Curbed,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
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In season one, Coop swipes jewelry, expensive wine, designer handbags and more to pay his alimony, child support and to keep up appearances in a neighborhood where appearances are all that matter.—
Tony Maglio,
HollywoodReporter,
3 Apr. 2026
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Pok swiped clear his glass; new drops immediately streaked across the silicon display.—
Danielle Parker,
CBS News,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The Financial Times reported Tuesday that Hegseth’s broker at banking giant Morgan Stanley contacted BlackRock in February about making a multimillion-dollar investment in its iShares Defense Industrials Active ETF.—
Lim Hui Jie,
CNBC,
31 Mar. 2026
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Anyone seeking additional information is advised to contact the Georgia State Patrol's Open Records Unit.—
Zachary Bynum,
CBS News,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The return to work in March of about 31,000 striking Kaiser Permanente health care workers accounts for some of the rebound.—
Rachel Barber,
USA Today,
3 Apr. 2026
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Police said Ebert intentionally drove his car, struck the neighbor, and took off.—
Adam Thompson,
CBS News,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
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When the chase passed NW 150th Street and Portland Avenue, a deputy unsuccessfully performed a tactical vehicle intervention, which led the woman to ram into the deputy's vehicle and continue to flee.—
Josh Kelly,
Oklahoman,
1 Apr. 2026
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Watson founded the global Sea Shepherd conservation movement in the 1970s and for decades won a fearsome reputation for ramming vessels and other aggressive tactics in confrontations on the high seas that repeatedly landed him in jail.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
1 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Sideswipe.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sideswipe. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
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