swatting call

Meaning

1. 1nouncountable

   A false emergency report made to bring armed police to someone's home, usually as a malicious prank or act of revenge.

   Grammar: Countable: a swatting call, two swatting calls.

   Patterns

   • a swatting call to someone's home
   • a swatting call against someone

   Police traced the swatting call to a teenager in another state.

   The streamer was woken at dawn by officers who had responded to a swatting call.

   Investigators say the swatting call claimed that a hostage was being held in the house.

Word forms

Common combinations

receive a swatting call

The station said it had received a swatting call about a shooting at the school.

make a swatting call

He was charged with making a swatting call to a rival gamer's address.

fake swatting call

A fake swatting call sent a dozen officers to the quiet street.

victim of a swatting call

She became the victim of a swatting call after an online argument.

trace a swatting call

Detectives managed to trace the swatting call through a phone-spoofing service.

Synonyms and how they differ

hoax call

A hoax call is any false report to the authorities, while a swatting call specifically aims to send armed officers to a targeted person's home.

prank call

A prank call is usually harmless annoyance, whereas a swatting call is dangerous and criminal.

false alarm

A false alarm may be an honest mistake, but a swatting call is made deliberately to cause harm.

Word family

swat noun

short for the special police team (SWAT) that responds to the fake report

swatting noun

the act of making such false reports

swatter noun

a person who makes such calls

swatted adjective

describes a person targeted by this crime

Commonly confused: swatting call or swatting a fly?

Practice

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