Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

in one foul swoop

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.14 in modern English

Syllables: in- one -foul s-woop
IPA

22

Scrabble Score

14

Letters

4

Syllables

10

Unique Chars

Meaning

prep_phrase

(Achieved or completed) with a single action; in a single stroke.

Example Sentences

"The acquiescence of the party as the result of hasty and immature deliberation, is indicative of a supreme contempt of comrades, and vitiates in one foul swoop the conditions that regulate the movement."
"All their suspicions had evaporated in one foul swoop by Neil's announcement, and was now confirmed by a document that if they signed, asked them to become trustees of Neil's charity."
"I need to get it all out at once, inflicting the damage in one foul swoop before facing the fallout left in my wake."

Etymology

Mondegreen variant of in one fell swoop, where "fell" (of a strong and cruel nature; eager and unsparing; grim; fierce; ruthless; savage) is misheard as "foul" (disgusting) or "fowl" (a bird).

Questions

What does in one foul swoop mean?: (Achieved or completed) with a single action; in a single stroke.
Where does in one foul swoop come from?: Mondegreen variant of in one fell swoop, where "fell" (of a strong and cruel nature; eager and unsparing; grim; fierce; ruthless; savage) is misheard as "foul" (disgusting) or "fowl" (a bird).

How to pronounce in one foul swoop

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