# swing and a miss

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/swing-and-a-miss
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

A sincere but unsuccessful attempt.

## Examples

- That was a swing and a miss on your first try.
- My joke about the weather is a total swing and a miss.
- Your guess about my age is a swing and a miss.
- He tried to impress his boss with a new strategy, but it was a swing and a miss.
- I tried to fix the leaky faucet myself to save money, but it was a swing and a miss because the kitchen flooded.
- She spent all weekend cooking a complicated French meal for her parents, but unfortunately, the dish was a swing and a miss.
- The marketing team hoped the new slogan would attract younger customers, but the campaign was a swing and a miss that failed to increase sales.
- Despite his ambitious efforts to reform the department, the proposal proved to be a swing and a miss that left the board unimpressed.

## Origin

The expression draws upon the mechanics of unsuccessful exertion in sports such as cricket, baseball, and boxing. It alludes to the precise moment a participant swings a bat at a pitched ball or throws a punch at an opponent, only to make contact with the air. The physical failure of the motion provides the metaphorical basis for the phrase.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.