Meaning & use
side-swiped
Last updated
“side-swiped” is a form of “side-swipe”.
Meaning
verbtransitive
Hit the side of a vehicle or object while passing it, usually causing minor damage.
Grammar: Takes an object: 'The bus side-swiped the parked car.' Often used in the passive: 'The car was side-swiped.'
Patterns
- side-swipe something
- be side-swiped by something
A taxi side-swiped my car as I was waiting at the red light.
The delivery van was side-swiped by a truck on the narrow road.
Word forms
| base form | side-swipe |
|---|---|
| third person singular | side-swipes |
| present participle | side-swiping |
| past tense | side-swiped |
| past participle | side-swiped |
Common combinations
- side-swiped by a car
- The cyclist was side-swiped by a car that didn't see him.
- get side-swiped
- I got side-swiped in the parking lot and now there's a dent in my door.
- side-swipe a parked car
- He side-swiped a parked car while trying to park.
Synonyms and how they differ
Word family
- side-swipe noun
- An instance of hitting the side of a vehicle: 'The car had a side-swipe on the driver's door.'
Commonly confused: side-swiped or side-swiped?
side-swiped vs side-swiped
This is the correct spelling for the past tense of 'side-swipe', not 'side swapped'.
Practice
The motorcyclist was ______ by a lorry that changed lanes without looking.
Choose one answer.
'Side-swiped' fits because it means hit the side of a vehicle. 'Side-stepped' means avoided, and 'side-tracked' means distracted.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “side-swiped”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.