wave election
One-sided political rout
A wave election is a political contest in which one party achieves sweeping, decisive victories across multiple races—winning not just competitive seats but also those typically safe for opponents.
The metaphor evokes a powerful surge that overwhelms normal electoral patterns: The 2010 midterms were a wave election for Republicans.
Pundits debate whether conditions favor a wave or a more modest shift.
- blowoutSudden tire failure
- landslideMass of earth falling
- clean sweepComplete, uncontested victory
- victoryDefeating an opponent
- majorityOver half of total
swing · sweeping · realignment · swing voters · coattail effect · defeat · mandate · rout · surge · tide · demographic trends · protest vote · midterm elections · dominance · flood · political · public opinion · ballots
- electionsballot, ballots, voter registration, candidates, polls
- election resultsvictory, defeat, winner, loser, win
wave electionsqueaker
Barely-won contest
photo finish · nail-biter · too close to call · narrow victory · dead heat
wave, election, waves, waved, waving, waviness, elect, elects, elected