take a swing
idiom
: to try to hit something
Some drunk took a swing at me.
The batter took a swing at the first pitch.
Examples of take a swing in a Sentence
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That determination will be largely made by the new defensive coordinator, but an intriguing couple of names at the top of the safety position in the draft class could lead Dallas to take a swing in the first round at that position instead.
—
Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 9 Jan. 2026
But the Patriots also owe it to themselves to take a swing and try to add a couple of players before Tuesday’s NFL trade deadline.
—Chad Graff, New York Times, 3 Nov. 2025
Phoenix is currently terrible and has every incentive to take a swing if there’s even a 10 percent chance that its ceiling can be reached sometime in the next five years.
—Ricardo Sandoval, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Oct. 2025
Pioneer Press staff members take a swing at predicting the outcome of Sunday’s game in Ireland.
—John Shipley, Twin Cities, 26 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for take a swing
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Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 9 Jan. 2026
But the Patriots also owe it to themselves to take a swing and try to add a couple of players before Tuesday’s NFL trade deadline.
—Chad Graff, New York Times, 3 Nov. 2025
Phoenix is currently terrible and has every incentive to take a swing if there’s even a 10 percent chance that its ceiling can be reached sometime in the next five years.
—Ricardo Sandoval, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Oct. 2025
Pioneer Press staff members take a swing at predicting the outcome of Sunday’s game in Ireland.
—John Shipley, Twin Cities, 26 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for take a swing
Cite this Entry
“Take a swing.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/take%20a%20swing. Accessed 21 Jan. 2026.
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