Definition of swipe away

Short definition: The phrase swipe away means moving your finger across a screen to remove, close, or dismiss something like a notification, message, or photo, often quickly and without giving it much attention.

Looking for a clear and natural explanation of the phrase swipe away? The phrase swipe away is very common in modern English, especially in phone and app use. People use it when talking about removing something from a screen with a finger, but it is also used in emotional and informal situations. You will hear it in daily tech conversations, casual speech, and even metaphorical expressions. Below, each meaning is explained in a calm and natural way, so it feels human, clear, and easy to understand.

swipe away phrasal v. /swaɪp əˈweɪ/

Forms: swipe away, swipes away, swiped away, swiping away
Related: swipe v., remove v., dismiss v.
Syllable: swipe a-way

  1. (Verb) To remove something from a screen by moving your finger across it.

    To swipe away means to use your finger to move something off a phone or tablet screen, such as a notification, message, or image, so it disappears and no longer blocks what you are doing.

    She quickly swiped away the notification on her phone so she could keep watching the video without interruption.
    He swiped away the reminder alert because he did not want to deal with it right then.
    You can swipe away old messages to keep your screen clean and organized.

    Synonyms: dismiss, remove from screen, slide away, clear, delete visually, push aside, flick away, close, hide, get rid of, clear away, move off
    Antonyms: open, keep, display, show, bring back, restore, hold on, keep visible, pin, save, reveal, view

  2. (Verb) To get rid of something quickly and with little effort.

    Outside of technology, swipe away can mean removing or dealing with something easily and quickly, often without much thought or emotional involvement.

    He tried to swipe away his worries by focusing on work, even though the problems were still there in the background.
    She swiped away the dust from the table before sitting down to eat.
    The manager swiped away the complaint as if it was not important.

    Synonyms: brush aside, dismiss quickly, remove easily, push away, ignore, clear off, wave off, get rid of, shrug off, wipe away, toss aside, sweep aside
    Antonyms: deal with, face, consider, address, hold on to, keep, examine, focus on, accept, take seriously, confront, manage

  3. (Slang) To ignore someone or something without much care.

    In casual slang, people use swipe away to mean ignoring a message, idea, or even a person, especially in online or dating app contexts where one simple action shows disinterest.

    She swiped away his message and decided not to reply because she was no longer interested.
    He joked that people swipe away opinions they do not agree with instead of listening.
    On dating apps, many profiles get swiped away within seconds.

    Synonyms: ignore, dismiss, reject, skip, pass on, brush off, ghost lightly, overlook, drop, shut down, avoid, turn away
    Antonyms: respond, engage, listen, accept, consider, reply, pay attention, connect, acknowledge, interact, welcome, address

An Explanation of the Word "swipe away" in an Image

Comic-style swipe away illustration with a hand swiping a smartphone, bold text, and motion arrows showing fast digital interaction
A dynamic comic-style illustration showing a hand swiping a smartphone screen with bold swipe away text, colorful arrows, and energetic bursts that represent quick actions, dismissing content, and mod

Conversation Using the Phrase Swipe Away

The following conversation takes place between two friends sitting in a café. It shows how the phrase swipe away is used in everyday English when people talk about phone habits, distractions, and modern digital life.

Alex: I keep getting notifications every two minutes, and it is starting to stress me out.

Jordan: Same here, sometimes I just swipe away everything without even reading it because there are simply too many.

Alex: I do that too, but then I worry that I might miss something important from work or family.

Jordan: That happens to me all the time, especially when I swipe away messages just to stay focused.

Alex: I think phones make it too easy to swipe away things instead of dealing with them properly.

Jordan: True, swiping away a problem feels good for a second, but it never really solves anything.

Alex: Maybe we should both put our phones down and actually enjoy this coffee without distractions.

Jordan: Agreed, I am swiping away my screen right now and leaving the phone alone for a while.

Phrases Containing the Words Swipe Away

The phrases below show how swipe away is commonly used in everyday English, especially when talking about phones, apps, and digital habits.

Swipe away notifications

To remove alerts from the screen.

Every morning, she swipe away notifications on her phone so she can start the day without feeling distracted or overwhelmed.

Swipe away the message

To dismiss a message quickly.

He swipe away the message without reading it fully because he wanted to focus on the conversation in front of him.

Swipe away ads

To remove advertisements.

She quickly swipe away ads in the app because they kept interrupting what she was trying to read.

Swipe away reminders

To dismiss alerts about tasks.

He swipe away reminders too often, which sometimes makes him forget important things later.

Swipe away the screen

To clear what is shown.

With one smooth movement, she swipe away the screen and locked her phone before putting it in her bag.

Swipe away unwanted apps

To close apps you do not need.

He swipe away unwanted apps to make his phone run faster and feel less cluttered.

Swipe away the alert

To remove a pop-up.

She swipe away the alert during the meeting so it would not distract her or others.

Swipe away distractions

To remove digital interruptions.

Before studying, he swipe away distractions on his phone to stay focused for a longer time.

Swipe away the photo

To remove an image from view.

She swipe away the photo and moved on to the next one while browsing through her gallery.

Swipe away pop-ups

To close sudden messages.

He swipe away pop-ups as fast as they appeared, clearly annoyed by constant interruptions.

Swipe away updates

To dismiss update notices.

She swipe away updates because she did not want to install anything in the middle of her work.

Swipe away emails

To remove emails from view.

He swipe away emails that were not urgent so he could deal with them later.

Swipe away warnings

To ignore alerts.

She swipe away warnings without reading them carefully, which later caused a small problem.

Swipe away the call

To reject an incoming call.

He swipe away the call because he was already in the middle of an important conversation.

Swipe away messages quickly

To dismiss messages fast.

She swipe away messages quickly when she feels overwhelmed by too many chats at once.

Swipe away notifications silently

To remove alerts without sound.

During the movie, he swipe away notifications silently so he would not disturb anyone around him.

Swipe away icons

To remove items from the screen.

She swipe away icons she no longer uses to keep her home screen simple.

Swipe away tasks

To dismiss to-do items.

He swipe away tasks after finishing them, which gives him a small sense of satisfaction.

Swipe away alerts without reading

To dismiss alerts quickly.

Sometimes she swipe away alerts without reading them, later realizing she missed something important.

Swipe away the problem

Ignoring something easily.

He joked that you cannot just swipe away the problem like a phone notification, it still needs a real solution.

Words Rhyme with swipe away

day
say
play
stay
way
clay
gray
pray
tray
sway
stray
delay
display
decay
betray
convey
survey
array
astray
birthday
gateway
pathway
runway
holiday
everyday
yesterday
faraway
castaway
stowaway
giveaway
POS: Verb Phrase  Category: Technology