1 B1 neutral
To physically swing across from one side to another, often gripping a rope or bar.
"The children swung over the stream on the old rope tied to the oak branch."
inseparable
swing over
B2 neutral inseparable intransitive
To move or shift to the other side of something in an arc, or to change allegiance, opinion, or position to a different side.
In plain English
To swing across to the other side, or to change which side you support.
What does "swing over" mean?
2 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 B2 idiomatic neutral
To change one's allegiance, opinion, or position from one side to another.
"Several undecided voters swung over to the opposition party in the final week before the election."
inseparable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To swing (pivot in an arc) over — moving across from one side to the other.
Actually means
To swing across to the other side, or to change which side you support.
Usage tip
Used physically for movement across a space (e.g., swinging over a gap on a rope) and figuratively for changing political allegiance or opinion. The figurative sense is common in political and sports reporting.
Words that pair with "swing over"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
fence allegiance support vote side gap
How to conjugate "swing over"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
swing over
I/you/we/they
3rd person
swings over
he/she/it
Past simple
swinged over
yesterday
Past participle
swinged over
have + pp
-ing form
swinging over
continuous
Hear "swing over" in the wild
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Other ways to say "swing over"
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