take a swipe at
idiom
1
informal
: to direct criticism or insults toward (a particular person or group)
She took a swipe at her former company in her latest column.
2
: to try to hit (someone or something) by moving something
The batter took a swipe at the ball and missed.
Examples of take a swipe at in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
President Donald Trump appeared to take a swipe at China on Tuesday while boasting about American military power.
—
Micah McCartney, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Oct. 2025
Sosa, who was elevated from the pro troupe to a competitive dancer on season 33, appeared to take a swipe at his previous partner, fake heiress Anna Delvey.
—Maureen Lee Lenker, Entertainment Weekly, 5 Sep. 2025
Why would the sideline reporter — in this case, CBS’ excellent Aditi Kinkhabwala — set him up to take a swipe at a teammate?
—Jason Lloyd, New York Times, 21 Aug. 2025
Meanwhile, budget airline Ryanair appeared to take a swipe at NATS’ CEO, naming him while responding to a news article about the delays.
—Catherine Nicholls, CNN Money, 30 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for take a swipe at
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Micah McCartney, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Oct. 2025
Sosa, who was elevated from the pro troupe to a competitive dancer on season 33, appeared to take a swipe at his previous partner, fake heiress Anna Delvey.
—Maureen Lee Lenker, Entertainment Weekly, 5 Sep. 2025
Why would the sideline reporter — in this case, CBS’ excellent Aditi Kinkhabwala — set him up to take a swipe at a teammate?
—Jason Lloyd, New York Times, 21 Aug. 2025
Meanwhile, budget airline Ryanair appeared to take a swipe at NATS’ CEO, naming him while responding to a news article about the delays.
—Catherine Nicholls, CNN Money, 30 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for take a swipe at
Cite this Entry
“Take a swipe at.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/take%20a%20swipe%20at. Accessed 21 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
