as in hitting
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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Recent Examples of sideswiping
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
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
But Parente says Martinez, who was shot five times after the crash, did not cause the wreck, arguing the agent was the person who actually initiated the contact by sideswiping his client, making the condition of his vehicle crucial to her defense.
—Andi Babineau, CNN Money, 21 Oct. 2025
Rocco Parascandola, New York Daily News, 11 Mar. 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
But Parente says Martinez, who was shot five times after the crash, did not cause the wreck, arguing the agent was the person who actually initiated the contact by sideswiping his client, making the condition of his vehicle crucial to her defense.
—Andi Babineau, CNN Money, 21 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sideswiping
Verb
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Gerhardt Konig hoped Thursday to persuade a Hawaiian jury that hitting his wife repeatedly with a rock was self-defense.—
April 2,
CBS News,
3 Apr. 2026
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The film also was shown at a number of other festivals before hitting the awards circuit as the Palestinian entry for this year’s Academy Awards.—
Zach Dennis,
Charlotte Observer,
2 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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The coaching staff and team members all jumped around on the sideline in celebration, with players chest bumping Mullins, and coach Dan Hurley had an interaction with a referee that went viral and brought backlash.—
Matthew Couden,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Broger initially came across the shattered skull and bone fragments before contacting del Río to investigate.—
Ryan Brennan
April 4,
Miami Herald,
4 Apr. 2026
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Broger initially came across the shattered skull and bone fragments before contacting del Río to investigate further.—
Ryan Brennan
April 4,
Kansas City Star,
4 Apr. 2026
Verb
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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
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During the attack, the suspect ultimately exchanged gunfire with synagogue security and ignited the explosives inside his vehicle after ramming into the temple doors at a high speed.—
Bonny Chu,
FOXNews.com,
30 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Sideswiping.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sideswiping. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
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