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swoop
[ swoop ]
verb (used without object)
- to sweep through the air, as a bird or a bat, especially down upon prey.
- to come down upon something in a sudden, swift attack (often followed by down and on or upon ):
The army swooped down on the town.
verb (used with object)
- to take, lift, scoop up, or remove with or as with one sweeping motion (often followed by up, away, or off ):
He swooped her up in his arms.
noun
- an act or instance of swooping; a sudden, swift descent.
Synonyms: , , ,
swoop
/ ɳː /
verb
- intr; usually foll by down, on, or upon to sweep or pounce suddenly
- tr; often foll by up, away, or off to seize or scoop suddenly
noun
- the act of swooping
- a swift descent
Word History and Origins
Word History and Origins
Origin of swoop1
Idioms and Phrases
- at / in one fell swoop, all at once or all together, as if by one blow:
The quake flattened the houses at one fell swoop.
More idioms and phrases containing swoop
see one fell swoop .Example Sentences
An enormous cloud of gulls billowed and swooped around the charred waste.
In one foul swoop, the administration severed tens of billions in foreign aid contracts, leaving troves of life-saving programs in grave danger.
There is the possibility that another company wants to swoop in and rescue the business.
The plans call for a swooping design complementary of the stylish curvature of their stadium.
It is estimated that the bird of prey had swooped on at least 50 people since early March, drawing blood from several victims.
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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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