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Glite Dictionary
💥 To hit from side 🚗 A side crash 💬 A quick insult
sideswipe

sideswipe

6.1
A glancing hit to the side of something, often a vehicle
  • noun
  • /ˈsaɪdˌswaɪp/
translation icon : roce
  • The bus was involved in a sideswipe incident that left several passengers shaken but thankfully unharmed.

Examples

  • Even at high speed, a simple sideswipe is not a serious matter (if you aren't a piece of sheet metal), but I can't tell you how many times I've seen a few hundred dollars' worth of damage turn tragic because one (or both) drivers quit.

    Blog text (24)

  • The accident report stated that the vehicle incurred damage from a sideswipe when it was struck by another car on the highway.

  • Lisa's car suffered a sideswipe from a careless driver, which caused her to lose control for a moment.

Synonyms

fender-bender
vssideswipe
  • Informal
18 3.2

A small car crash that causes little or no damage

is a glancing hit specifically to the side rather than a general minor crash

How Severe

crash
∞ 2.3
impact
371 3.7
sideswipe
6.1
scrape
30 1.3

Surface Forms

sideswipe singular
sideswipes plural

Morphology

sideswipe = side + swipe (transparent) = side + swipe

A direct compound of 'side' + 'swipe' whose meaning ('a glancing blow to the side') follows the literal combination of the components.

Etymology

Sideswipe comes from the simple parts side and swipe, where swipe means 'a quick, sweeping hit'. So a sideswipe is a 'light hit at the side', which fits a glancing collision between vehicles.