swing state
noun
plural swing states
US politics
: a U.S. state in which Republican and Democratic candidates have similar levels of support and which is considered to play a key role in the outcome of presidential elections
The politics of immigration in Florida, a key swing state, are not as clear as they are in California.—
Tom Masland et al.
Tom Masland et al.If he is so polarizing, how was he elected five times in a swing state?—Nancy Gibbs et al.
Nancy Gibbs et al.Examples of swing state in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
In another swing state, Wisconsin, fake electors admitted to their roles as part of civil settlements.
—Wayne Schutsky, NPR, 25 Apr. 2024
At no point had either of them come to the swing state to discuss the Mideast conflict with voters.
—USA TODAY, 19 Apr. 2024
The 2020 election swung in Joe Biden’s favor by just 44,000 votes in three swing states, a margin thin enough to elicit fears that deepfakes spread by generative artificial intelligence could alter the outcome of the next U.S. Presidential election, in 2024.
—Christiaan Hetzner, Fortune, 18 Apr. 2024
Michigan, long a swing state, is expected to be a pivotal presidential battleground again this year.
—Mitch Smith, New York Times, 17 Apr. 2024
Her retirement puts liberals’ majority on the swing state’s highest bench at stake and will likely set off an expensive and bitter race for her replacement.
—Elizabeth Robinson, NBC News, 12 Apr. 2024
Broadening the pool of swing states to include Florida, Minnesota, New Hampshire and North Carolina, just 7 of 1,024 combinations (less than 1 percent) involved that one vote shifting the outcome.
—Geoffrey Skelley, ABC News, 11 Apr. 2024
The remarks at a gathering of local Republicans in a rural Wisconsin town about 40 miles west of Green Bay reflected a snapshot of how some Republican base voters in this swing state view the rematch between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump this November.
—Lawrence Andrea, Journal Sentinel, 8 Apr. 2024
In the decisive swing states of Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania, if Green Party nominee Stein’s votes had gone to Democrat Hillary Clinton, the latter would have won the White House.
—Doyle McManus, Los Angeles Times, 8 Apr. 2024
Wayne Schutsky, NPR, 25 Apr. 2024
At no point had either of them come to the swing state to discuss the Mideast conflict with voters.
—USA TODAY, 19 Apr. 2024
The 2020 election swung in Joe Biden’s favor by just 44,000 votes in three swing states, a margin thin enough to elicit fears that deepfakes spread by generative artificial intelligence could alter the outcome of the next U.S. Presidential election, in 2024.
—Christiaan Hetzner, Fortune, 18 Apr. 2024
Michigan, long a swing state, is expected to be a pivotal presidential battleground again this year.
—Mitch Smith, New York Times, 17 Apr. 2024
Her retirement puts liberals’ majority on the swing state’s highest bench at stake and will likely set off an expensive and bitter race for her replacement.
—Elizabeth Robinson, NBC News, 12 Apr. 2024
Broadening the pool of swing states to include Florida, Minnesota, New Hampshire and North Carolina, just 7 of 1,024 combinations (less than 1 percent) involved that one vote shifting the outcome.
—Geoffrey Skelley, ABC News, 11 Apr. 2024
The remarks at a gathering of local Republicans in a rural Wisconsin town about 40 miles west of Green Bay reflected a snapshot of how some Republican base voters in this swing state view the rematch between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump this November.
—Lawrence Andrea, Journal Sentinel, 8 Apr. 2024
In the decisive swing states of Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania, if Green Party nominee Stein’s votes had gone to Democrat Hillary Clinton, the latter would have won the White House.
—Doyle McManus, Los Angeles Times, 8 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'swing state.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Swing state.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/swing%20state. Accessed 28 Apr. 2024.
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