SWATTING

What Does Swatting Mean in a Text?

The Quick Answer

Swatting means "Making a Hoax Call to Provoke the Deployment of Armed Police."

More Observations...

The term swatting is used to describe the practice of making a hoax or prank call to the emergency services with the aim of provoking the deployment of armed police or SWAT (Special Weapons and Tactics) teams. Swatting originated in the gaming community, where hoaxers would call police to a gamer's address during a live-streaming game, hoping that the subsequent raid would be broadcast live online. Some people have been killed by police as a result of swatting pranks.

Image for Swatting

When I write Swatting, I mean this:

Online gamers are often the target of swatting.

Summary of Key Points

"Making a Hoax Call to Provoke the Deployment of Armed Police" is, by far, the most common meaning for Swatting when it is used in a text. (Bear in mind that it could have another meaning if used in a different context.)

Swatting
Definition:	Making a Hoax Call to Provoke the Deployment of Armed Police
Type:	Slang Word (Jargon)
Guessability:	4: Difficult to guess
Typical Users:	Adults and Teenagers

Examples of Swatting in Sentences

Here are examples of Swatting in conversations:

• Sophie: How are you going to get your revenge?
• Tina: How about swatting him one night?

• Sean: Why was Tina arrested?
• Sophie: She was caught swatting Steve from her own cell.

An Academic Look at Swatting

Swatting is a neologism (i.e., a newly coined word or phrase) and describes making a hoax or prank call to the emergency services in order to provoke the unnecessary deployment of armed police.

What Did We Say before Texting and Social Media?

Before the digital era, we might have said something like "Hoaxing the cops" or "Making a prank call" instead of using swatting.

Example of Swatting Used in a Text

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