Illustration of sweep
- sweep 1a
swept
ˈswept 
; sweeping
; sweeping
1
a
: to remove from a surface with or as if with a broom or brush
swept the crumbs from the table
b
: to destroy completely : wipe out
—usually used with away
everything she cherished, might be swept away overnight—
Louis Bromfield
Louis Bromfield
c
: to remove or take with a single continuous forceful action
swept the books off the desk
d
: to remove from sight or consideration
the problem can't be swept under the rug
e
: to drive or carry along with irresistible force
a wave of protest that swept the opposition into office
2
a
: to clean with or as if with a broom or brush
b
: to clear by repeated and forcible action
c
: to move across or along swiftly, violently, or overwhelmingly
fire swept the business district—Amer. Guide Series: Md.
Amer. Guide Series: Md.
d
: to win an overwhelming victory in or on
sweep the elections
e
: to win all the games or contests of
sweep a double-header
sweep a series
3
: to touch in passing with a swift continuous movement
4
: to trace or describe the locus or extent of (something, such as a line, circle, or angle)
5
: to cover the entire range of
his eyes swept the horizon
1
a
: to clean a surface with or as if with a broom
b
: to move swiftly, forcefully, or devastatingly
the wind swept through the treetops
2
: to go with stately or sweeping movements
proudly swept into the room
3
: to move or extend in a wide curve or range
1
2
a
: an instance of sweeping
especially
: a clearing out or away with or as if with a broom
b
: the removal from the table in one play in casino of all the cards by pairing or combining
c
: an overwhelming victory
d
: a winning of all the contests or prizes in a competition
e
: a wide-ranging search of an area (as by police)
3
a
: a movement of great range and force
b
: a curving or circular course or line
c
: the compass of a sweeping movement : scope
d
: a broad unbroken area or extent
a sweep of wildflowers
e
: an end run in football in which one or more linemen pull back and run interference for the ballcarrier
4
5
6
: obliquity with respect to a reference line
sweep of an airplane wing
especially
: sweepback
7
sweeps plural
: a television ratings period during which surveys are taken to determine advertising rates
Synonyms
Examples of sweep in a Sentence
Verb
He swept the dirt off the driveway.
He swept the crumbs from the table.
I need to sweep the kitchen.
Are you finished sweeping the porch?
A storm swept across the plains.
Fires swept through the forest.
She proudly swept into the room.
The limo swept up to the door.
He swept the curtains aside.
She swept the books off the desk.
Noun
Mrs. Griswold has been a teacher for so long that the sweep of her influence extends across three generations of the townspeople.
Recent Examples on the WebJason Anderson, Sacramento Bee, 5 Apr. 2024
Additionally, the Florida Museum advised doing the same after sweeping them up in homes with a broom or taking them down from walls with tweezers.
—Brenton Blanchet, Peoplemag, 4 Apr. 2024
Structural damage was also reported throughout Barnsdall, Oklahoma, according to Barnsdall Police, after four tornadoes swept through the state on Monday.
—Dalia Faheid, CNN, 3 Apr. 2024
Part of the reason for this diversity is the tides: High tide sweeps nudibranchs and their larvae into the river, and many of them stick around.
—Helen Sullivan, Smithsonian Magazine, 2 Apr. 2024
There were no injuries reported and a bomb squad swept the area and the SUV as a precaution, The FBI Atlanta field office said in a statement.
—S. Dev, CBS News, 1 Apr. 2024
Flash flooding currents are strong and can sweep drivers off roadways.
—Star-Telegram Bot, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 1 Apr. 2024
The thin blue line flag became most visible in 2020 as a reaction to defund the police movements that swept the country in the wake of the police custody death of George Floyd.
—Bradford Betz, Fox News, 1 Apr. 2024
The weak job growth statewide was caused in part by tech layoffs, which swept through the information sector, as well as contractions in finance, insurance and transportation, according to experts.
—Terry Castleman, Los Angeles Times, 26 Mar. 2024
Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 8 Apr. 2024
The game starts at 3 p.m., with the Sharks looking for the three-game season sweep of the Blues, who are barely hanging on to their playoff aspirations.
—Curtis Pashelka, The Mercury News, 6 Apr. 2024
The stretch includes four straight West Coast Conference victories, three of them in last week’s sweep at Pacific.
—Kirk Kenney, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Apr. 2024
Campus administration contacted a Southlake police school resource officer assigned to Carroll Senior High School regarding several pill bottles found in a teacher’s backpack during a routine third-party K-9 sweep, according to the release.
—Nicole Lopez, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 3 Apr. 2024
This year, she’s had a sweep of wins at the Oscars, the Golden Globes, the Critics Choice Awards, the SAG Awards, and the NAACP Image Awards.
—Kerane Marcellus, Essence, 2 Apr. 2024
In some ways, the sweeps that Lula ordered last year had only increased the danger for Finger and his men.
—Jon Lee Anderson, The New Yorker, 1 Apr. 2024
With the victory, Minnesota completed a season sweep of the Warriors, who continue to struggle against the NBA’s elite teams.
—Danny Emerman, The Mercury News, 24 Mar. 2024
Sacramento completed a season sweep of the Lakers with a 120-107 win Wednesday while the Warriors fell 109-99 at Dallas.
—Steve Galluzzo, Los Angeles Times, 15 Mar. 2024
Verb
Sacramento is now just a half-game ahead of the Los Angeles Lakers for ninth, although the Kings hold the tiebreaker after sweeping the season series against their Southern California rivals.
—Jason Anderson, Sacramento Bee, 5 Apr. 2024
Additionally, the Florida Museum advised doing the same after sweeping them up in homes with a broom or taking them down from walls with tweezers.
—Brenton Blanchet, Peoplemag, 4 Apr. 2024
Structural damage was also reported throughout Barnsdall, Oklahoma, according to Barnsdall Police, after four tornadoes swept through the state on Monday.
—Dalia Faheid, CNN, 3 Apr. 2024
Part of the reason for this diversity is the tides: High tide sweeps nudibranchs and their larvae into the river, and many of them stick around.
—Helen Sullivan, Smithsonian Magazine, 2 Apr. 2024
There were no injuries reported and a bomb squad swept the area and the SUV as a precaution, The FBI Atlanta field office said in a statement.
—S. Dev, CBS News, 1 Apr. 2024
Flash flooding currents are strong and can sweep drivers off roadways.
—Star-Telegram Bot, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 1 Apr. 2024
The thin blue line flag became most visible in 2020 as a reaction to defund the police movements that swept the country in the wake of the police custody death of George Floyd.
—Bradford Betz, Fox News, 1 Apr. 2024
The weak job growth statewide was caused in part by tech layoffs, which swept through the information sector, as well as contractions in finance, insurance and transportation, according to experts.
—Terry Castleman, Los Angeles Times, 26 Mar. 2024
Noun
Rylee McCoy of Oaks Christian went six for six in a doubleheader sweep of Oxnard.
—Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 8 Apr. 2024
The game starts at 3 p.m., with the Sharks looking for the three-game season sweep of the Blues, who are barely hanging on to their playoff aspirations.
—Curtis Pashelka, The Mercury News, 6 Apr. 2024
The stretch includes four straight West Coast Conference victories, three of them in last week’s sweep at Pacific.
—Kirk Kenney, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Apr. 2024
Campus administration contacted a Southlake police school resource officer assigned to Carroll Senior High School regarding several pill bottles found in a teacher’s backpack during a routine third-party K-9 sweep, according to the release.
—Nicole Lopez, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 3 Apr. 2024
This year, she’s had a sweep of wins at the Oscars, the Golden Globes, the Critics Choice Awards, the SAG Awards, and the NAACP Image Awards.
—Kerane Marcellus, Essence, 2 Apr. 2024
In some ways, the sweeps that Lula ordered last year had only increased the danger for Finger and his men.
—Jon Lee Anderson, The New Yorker, 1 Apr. 2024
With the victory, Minnesota completed a season sweep of the Warriors, who continue to struggle against the NBA’s elite teams.
—Danny Emerman, The Mercury News, 24 Mar. 2024
Sacramento completed a season sweep of the Lakers with a 120-107 win Wednesday while the Warriors fell 109-99 at Dallas.
—Steve Galluzzo, Los Angeles Times, 15 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'sweep.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
Verb
Middle English swepen; akin to Old English swāpan to sweep, Old High German sweifen to wander
First Known Use
Verb
14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a
Noun
1548, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Time Traveler
The first known use of sweep was
in the 14th century
Phrases Containing sweep
Dictionary Entries Near sweep
Cite this Entry
“Sweep.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sweep. Accessed 16 Apr. 2024.
Copy Citation
Kids Definition
sweep
1 of 2 verb
swept
ˈswept
; sweeping
; sweeping
1
a
: to remove from a surface with or as if with a broom or brush
sweep the dirt off the rug
b
: to remove or take with a single continuous forceful action
swept the books off the desk
c
: to drive or carry along with great force
2
a
: to clean with or as if with a broom or brush
sweep the floor
b
: to move across or along swiftly, violently, or overwhelmingly
a storm swept across the plains
c
: to win all of
the presidential candidate swept the western states
3
: to move with stately or sweeping movements
swept into the room
4
: to move or extend in a wide curve or range
sweeper
noun
sweep
2 of 2 noun1
: a long movable pole on a post that is used to raise and lower a bucket (as in a well)
2
a
: an act or instance of sweeping
b
: a decisive victory
c
: a winning of all the contests
3
a
: a movement of great range and force
b
: a curving or circular course or line
c
: range entry 1 sense 6a, scope
outside the sweep of our vision
4
5
More from Merriam-Webster on sweep
Nglish: Translation of sweep for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of sweep for Arabic Speakers
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about sweep
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