swiping

IPA/swaɪp/
KK[swˈaɪpɪŋ]IPA/swaɪp/

swiping — verb

  • swipingpresent simple I / you / we / they
  • swipings3rd person singular
  • swipinging-ing form
  • swipingedpast simple

1. to pass your fingertip across a touchscreen in order to change what is shown, op

1.verbtransitive / intransitiveA2
Definition

to pass your fingertip across a touchscreen in order to change what is shown, open an app, select an item, or perform an action

Example

Swipe left on the screen to see the next photo in the album.

swipe + direction + to + infinitive (purpose)

Tendai swiped up to open the list of apps on his phone.

Common collocations
  • swipe left
  • swipe right
  • swipe up
  • swipe down
  • swipe across
Synonyms
  • scroll

    specifically moving content up or down

  • slide

    more general, also used for physical objects

Grammar Patterns

swipe + direction (left/right/up/down)

swipe + object + direction

Usage Note

Followed by a direction word (left, right, up, down) which indicates the result of the action. In app instructions, the word often appears as a command without a subject.

Common Mistakes

Swipe the screen to turn it on.
Swipe up on the screen to unlock it.
'swipe' describes the finger movement across the screen, not the act of powering the device on.

2. to slide a plastic card that stores information through an electronic device so

2.verbtransitiveB1
Definition

to slide a plastic card that stores information through an electronic device so that the information can be read and processed, for example to pay for something or to enter a building

Example

The cashier told Astrid to swipe her card through the machine on the counter.

swipe + card + through + machine

Daichi swiped his membership card at the door to enter the gym.

Common collocations
  • swipe a card
  • swipe through
  • swipe at the reader
Synonyms
  • slide

    less specific, does not imply electronic reading

  • scan

    implies a different technology (barcode or QR code)

Grammar Patterns

swipe + object + through + device

Usage Note

The object is usually a credit card, ID card, or membership card. Many modern readers now accept contactless payments, so this action is becoming less common.

3. to take something that belongs to someone else quickly and without permission, o

3.verbtransitiveB1
Definition

to take something that belongs to someone else quickly and without permission, often when nobody is watching

Example

Someone swiped Beatriz's wallet while she was riding the crowded bus.

swipe + object + from + place (implied)

Trang caught her little brother trying to swipe cookies from the kitchen jar.

Common collocations
  • swipe from
  • swipe someone's
Synonyms
  • steal

    more general and neutral in register

  • take

    less negative; can be neutral

  • pilfer

    more formal, describes stealing small amounts

Antonyms
  • return

    to give something back after taking it

Grammar Patterns

swipe + object

swipe + object + from + place/person

Usage Note

Used informally for small items that can be taken quickly. For larger valuables like cars or safes, 'steal' is more appropriate.

Common Mistakes

Someone swiped my car from the car park.
Someone stole my car from the car park.
'swipe' is for small items taken quickly; for vehicles use 'steal'.

4. to strike at a person or thing using a wide sideways motion of your arm, hand, o

4.verbtransitive / intransitiveB1
Definition

to strike at a person or thing using a wide sideways motion of your arm, hand, or an object you are holding

Example

The cat swiped at Daichi's hand with its claws out.

swipe + at + object for a hitting attempt

Yara swiped the pile of papers off her desk in frustration.

Common collocations
  • swipe at
  • swipe off
  • swipe away
  • swipe across
Synonyms
  • hit

    more general, does not imply a sideways motion

  • strike

    more formal and forceful

  • bat

    specifically with the hand or an object, often in sports

Grammar Patterns

swipe + at + object

swipe + object + adverb/preposition

Usage Note

When the hit misses the target, the verb is usually followed by 'at'. The particles 'off', 'away', and 'across' are common with the transitive pattern.

Common Mistakes

He swiped the ball and scored a goal.
He struck the ball and scored a goal.
'swipe' describes a broad sideways motion not typical of controlled shots in sports like football.

swiping — noun

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

All three words describe moving something across a surface, but they differ in context and purpose. 'Swipe' is specific to touchscreens: you swipe left, right, up, or down to navigate between screens, dismiss notifications, or approve actions (as in 'swipe right' on dating apps). 'Scroll' refers to moving through continuous content — a webpage, a document, or a long list — usually upward or downward; you scroll, but you don't typically scroll left or right for navigation. 'Slide' is more general: it can mean moving a physical object ('slide the drawer open'), a finger across a touchscreen ('slide to unlock'), or even a UI element ('slide the toggle'). Use 'swipe' for quick, directional gestures between screens or views; 'scroll' for moving through extended content; and 'slide' for smooth, continuous movements on or off a surface.

swipe ↗scroll ↗slide ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • take a swipe at
  • swipe left
  • swipe right

Prepositions

Etymology

English

The word 'swipe' first appeared in English around 1788, probably as an alteration of the verb 'sweep', influenced by 'wipe'. The original meaning was to strike with a sweeping motion. By the late 1800s, the sense of stealing developed in American prison slang. The card-reading meaning emerged in the 1970s with the invention of magnetic stripe readers, and the touchscreen gesture meaning followed in the early 2000s with the rise of smartphones.

First known use

1788

1788, in the meaning defined at sense 1a Verb