sideswiping

verb

present participle of sideswipe
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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Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of sideswiping The complaint accuses him of sideswiping an officer with his driver’s side mirror and later attempting to strike an officer with his car. — Anna Wilder, Los Angeles Times, 29 Sep. 2026 Sorensen allegedly admitted to sideswiping 20-year-old Jonathan Langdon's motorcycle while in a jealous rage, according to court records. — Bill Hutchinson, ABC News, 11 Aug. 2026 All of them involved a car sideswiping the back of a tractor-trailer that was making a lane change. — Patrick Radden Keefe, New Yorker, 13 Apr. 2026 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sideswiping
  1. hitting
  2. bumping
  3. contacting
  4. ramming
Verb
  • Social media videos of him hitting tennis balls and baseballs while listing his policy proposals have provided a font of online mockery.
    — Philip Elliott, Time, 19 Oct. 2026
  • Lips and eyes were also adorned at the L’Oreal Paris booth, where guests received touch-ups before hitting the adjacent Allure Red Carpet.
    — Eden Stuart, Allure, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of hitting
Verb
  • The Goyard Saint Louis entered the top 10 ranking at number seven, bumping the Celine Ava off the list entirely, according to the report.
    — Samantha Conti, Footwear News, 14 Oct. 2026
  • There can be two women who are strong and dynamic, who are, at points, up against each other or bumping heads, but have the same mission and goal.
    — Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of bumping
Verb
  • Park rangers are increasing patrols along the river and contacting people who may be illegally camping in the area, Sylvia said.
    — Kayla Moeller, CBS News, 16 Oct. 2026
  • His release conditions prohibit him from possessing or using firearms, contacting Goldfein or consuming alcohol.
    — Raul Trey Lopez, San Antonio Express-News, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of contacting
Verb
  • The Patriot munition at a critical low is the Patriot Advanced Capability-3, or PAC-3, a high-velocity surface-to-air interceptor designed to destroy incoming tactical ballistic missiles and cruise missiles by ramming into them.
    — James LaPorta, CBS News, 15 Oct. 2026
  • In Long Beach, Newsom acknowledged how unprecedented the move was, even for a governor known for ramming proposals through the Legislature.
    — Andrew Graham, Sacbee.com, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of ramming

Browse Nearby Words

sideswipes
sideswiping
sides (with)
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Cite this Entry

“Sideswiping.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sideswiping. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

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