swipe at

swipe at (someone or something)

To try to hit someone or something with a wide, arcing blow or stroke. It has me worried the way their toddler swipes at anyone who tries to approach him to say hello. The drunkard swiped at the security guard and collapsed in a heap on the pavement. He sat swiping at the golf ball for nearly five minutes before he finally hit it.

See also: swipe

Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.

swipe at

v.

1. To attempt to hit someone or something with a sweeping stroke: The cat swiped at the string. The hockey player swiped at the puck.

2. To attack someone verbally; criticize someone sharply: The candidate took every opportunity to swipe at her opponent.

See also: swipe

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Phrasal Verbs. Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.