# swoop

> English word · Verb · IPA /ˈswuːp/ · frequency rank #22,519

## Definitions
1. To fly or glide downwards suddenly; to plunge (in the air) or nosedive.
2. To move swiftly, as if with a sweeping movement, especially to attack something.
3. To fall on at once and seize; to catch while on the wing.
4. To seize; to catch up; to take with a sweep.
5. To pass with pomp; to sweep.
6. To search the ground for discarded cigarette butts that can be made into new cigarettes.

## Etymology
From Middle English swopen, from Old English swāpan (“to sweep”). Doublet of swaip. See also sweep, which was probably the basis for analogical restoration of /w/ in this word.

## Easily confused with
- **swot** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/swoop-vs-swot)
- **sword** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/swoop-vs-sword)
- **sworn** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/swoop-vs-sworn)
- **swore** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/swoop-vs-swore)
- **sop** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sop-vs-swoop)
- **stop** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/stop-vs-swoop)
- **soon** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/soon-vs-swoop)
- **shop** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/shop-vs-swoop)
- **soap** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/soap-vs-swoop)
- **soup** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/soup-vs-swoop)
- **swap** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/swap-vs-swoop)
- **sooo** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sooo-vs-swoop)
- **soot** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/soot-vs-swoop)
- **shoo** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/shoo-vs-swoop)
- **slop** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/slop-vs-swoop)
- **sook** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sook-vs-swoop)
- **shoot** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/shoot-vs-swoop)
- **stood** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/stood-vs-swoop)
- **shook** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/shook-vs-swoop)
- **sweep** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sweep-vs-swoop)

## Common misspellings (7)
`sowop`, `sswoop`, `swoopp`, `swop`, `swopo`, `swwoop`, `wsoop`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/swoop